In the Church, For the Church

Interested in residential education but concerned about putting ministry experience on hold? Midwestern Seminary now has a way to gain valuable ministry experience — under a local pastor’s mentorship — while you pursue your studies.
The Timothy Track offers select residential M.Div. students at Midwestern Seminary in-the-field ministry training in a local ministry context. In addition to their regular studies, students in the Timothy Track will spend their first two semesters participating in an internship with one of Midwestern’s partner churches. In addition to gaining valuable ministry experience, all Timothy Track students will receive a 50% scholarship toward all on-campus classes during their first year. Students in the program earn 12 credit hours by taking four classes together, all of which are core MDiv classes. Two of these are practicum classes with their pastor/mentor serving as a field supervisor, and the other two are campus-based classes with the rest of the students in The Timothy Track.
credit hours
Tuition Scholarship for first year
Local church partners
Students participating in The Timothy Track will spend a considerable portion of their time serving the church in a variety of ways. Students are expected to be exemplary church members first and foremost. As church members, they may be given a variety of opportunities to serve which will vary from church to church. They may be given tasks such as:
In addition to serving and leading in various contexts, interns will also learn through a variety of formats. The partner church has been asked to provide a context in which the student can observe leadership from the inside. That means, students may get to:
In addition to serving behind the scenes, churches are also encouraged to provide occasional opportunities for interns to lead in appropriate ways. Churches are encouraged to reserve the bulk of these opportunities for the Spring semester, after they have opportunity to thoroughly evaluate the student. Below are a few examples of what this might look like:
An added benefit of The Timothy Track is participation in six special nights throughout the year called The Timothy Talks. On three Monday nights in the fall and three in the spring, our Timothy Track students travel together to one of our partner churches to hear from that pastor about a specific element of pastoring. So not only do our students learn on a weekly basis from their own pastors, but they are also given the exclusive opportunity to hear from some other pastors on topics such as sermon preparation, church membership, relational conflict in the church, balancing church and family, handling church business and building matters, and more. These are fun and informal nights together, as our students can discuss what they’ve been learning over dinner provided by the churches, and then broaden their perspectives and recalibrate their expectations as they listen to an experienced pastor share wisdom on practical topics. Attendance at each Timothy Talk is required as part of the campus-based class each semester.
Have a 3.0 incoming GPA and maintain the same throughout the program.
Be recommended by a pastor of their church, and be a member in good standing of that church.
Uphold biblical conduct as required by the student handbook.
Must become and remain members in good standing of their partner church (includes consistent attendance, giving, and service).
Within 40 mile radius
of Midwestern campus.
Baptist Faith and Message 2000, Danvers and Chicago Statements, Biblical Exposition in Preaching.
Stability in church staff for past
couple of years (Not in transition).
Jordan Wilbanks serves as the Director of Church Partnerships here at Midwestern. Before coming to Kansas City, Jordan served as a founding member and an elder at Christ Fellowship Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Professionally, he comes from both a business and a ministry background, having served as Accounts Receivable Manager for a major domestic staffing firm based in Birmingham, and having worked on the Communications team of Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes.
Jordan received his education in Communications from The University of Miami. Originally from Jacksonville, FL, Jordan has been a part of Baptist churches in five different cities, and grew up as the son of a Southern Baptist pastor. He loves the church, and his aim at Midwestern is to see the church in this region grow and flourish, as we all work together to proclaim Christ, make disciples of all nations, and give glory to our Father. You can contact Jordan at jwilbanks@mbts.edu.
How many times a year does the internship start?
The internship begins once a year, at the beginning of each fall semester.
How is a Timothy Track M.Div. different from the other M.Div. programs?
The primary difference with the Timothy Track M.Div, from a curriculum standpoint, is that the internship will take the place of the elective courses of other M.Div tracks.
How do I get matched up with a church?
We don’t choose what church a student joins! Instead, based on the student’s interview in the application process, the Director of Church Partnerships will make suggestions for churches that seem like the best available fits. This depends also on which churches are participating in a given year. Then, the student and pastor/mentors can give feedback until the student is able to find the right church.
What makes this program unique?
The Timothy Track M.Div. program is unique because of the layers of investment, both by Midwestern and the local church, in the growth of the intern. Of course, we are excited that this program provides our students with the opportunity for in-the-field pastoral ministry experience, but the hands-on mentorship of the student from the pastor(s) and the MBTS Director of Church Partnerships make this program stand out.
How can I find out more?
To learn more about the Timothy Track, contact jwilbanks@mbts.edu.