Independent Church Ministry Course

Article written for FIEC Website. 

FIEC’s Certificate in Independent Church Ministry course will run for its fourth year this September. Now available online, course coordinator Andy Hunter explains why signing-up would be time well spent for anyone seeking to serve their local Independent church better.

If you Google ‘Independent Churches UK’ – more than half of the top 10 results are typically linked to FIEC. With more than 600 churches, we are the largest network of independent churches in Great Britain. Our size and history means that when it comes to understanding ‘Independent churches’ we can draw on a huge reservoir of experience and wisdom.

This understanding is something we are keen to share not just across FIEC churches but also with the many other non-denominational churches across the country. Indeed, recent years have seen a proliferation of such churches – new church plants, congregations leaving denominations, and the rapid growth of fellowships in areas with lots of ethnic minorities.

Independent church challenges

Independent churches come in all shapes and sizes, with a variety of formats and traditions but equally they share many similarities. They also face many of the same challenges and questions…

• What kind of self-governing leadership structures will best serve the gospel?
• Where will the next generation of pastors and other gospel workers come from and who will train them?
• What’s the best way to organise services without a common ‘rule-book’?
• How can mission be advanced beyond particular localities?
• How can Independent churches best relate to each other?
• How can a struggling Independent church be revitalised?

Helping leaders

Our Certificate in Independent Church Ministry is a course specifically designed to help leaders in such churches to think through these issues. Run in conjunction with Edinburgh Theological Seminary (ETS) this 12-part course looks at the history, theology and practicalities of being an Independent Church in Britain today.

Each session will be led by an experienced church leader including FIEC Directors and other experienced pastors. Set in a seminar format each session will include time for questions and discussion. Participants who complete the optional assignment (2000-word essay) will receive the Certificate, endorsed by ETS.

Now online

The Tuesday afternoon classes (2-4pm) will be streamed online - thus allowing participation from anywhere across the country. It means that you can watch, ask questions and take part interactively from the comfort of your home or office.

Additionally, there are discounted fees for those from FIEC churches or Pastors’ Network Members.

Working on the church

Many church leaders spend all their energies working ‘in the church’ – this course is designed to help them step back and spend some time ‘working on the church’. To think through some of the bigger structural issues that in the long run can yield great spiritual dividends.

So sign-up for some ministry time well spent.

For details of the programme, fees and to register, visit ets.ac.uk

or for the Course Handbook email admin@fiec.org.uk