Pastoral Internship

The internship is a full-time residency that exists to equip men pursuing full-time ministry with a biblical vision of the local church and pastoral ministry.

Investment from the Pastoral Staff

Our goal is to help train men who have an interest in serving as a lead, preaching pastor. Interns spend a lot of time observing and learning from the pastoral staff—especially the Senior Pastor. This includes participating in regular meetings and special gatherings, traveling with the Senior Pastor, engaging in sermon preparation discussions, and more. Other staff pastors who oversee equipping, missions, and administration also invest in the interns, providing insight into their respective areas of ministry.

Reading & Writing

There is approximately 9,000 pages of reading. A short paper is written on each book, chapter, and article that engages its thesis, argument, and value for pastoral ministry. Interns participate in a weekly reading discussion with pastoral staff. 

Involvement with Elders

Interns meet regularly with lay elders 1-on-1 to discuss pastoral ministry at Mount Vernon. They also attend Elders’ meetings and other leadership planning meetings throughout the semester.

Involvement as a Member

During the internship, interns are members of Mount Vernon and expected to be at all the weekly gatherings and involved in knowing and loving members and guests during their time.

Logistics

The internship is a full-time, five-month residency program (~50hrs/wk from August–December). The church provides a modest living stipend, and when possible, arranges housing with a church member to reduce expenses. While the internship is not designed to offer significant financial support, it is a limited season of ministry preparation that requires a sacrifice and dependence on the Lord. Many interns rely on personal savings, raised support, or a spouse’s income during this time. (More details are provided during the application process.)

Seminary Credit

Students enrolled at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary may receive up to 18 credit hours for the internship: 30000 Christian Preaching, 40080 Christian Leadership, 32100 Personal Evangelism & Devotion, 32960 Introduction to Missiology, 40301 Pastoral Ministry, and 40200 Introduction to Biblical Worship.

Application Timeline

Applicants interested in making the most of the process need to follow these steps:

• Attend our 9Marks Weekender (optional)
• Applications are due by March 30
• Visit MVBC and interview April 1–30 (if not done during the Weekender)
• Acceptance decisions made by May 31.
• Move to Atlanta July 1–31.