Lifelong Learning

George W. Truett Theological Seminary’s Mission is to, “equip God-called people for gospel ministry in and alongside Christ’s Church by the power of the Holy Spirit. ”God-called people for gospel ministry in and alongside Christ’s Church by the power of the Holy Spirit.” This mission informs and enlivens the work of Truett faculty, staff, and students. But, for most of Truett’s young history, the application of this mission largely ended when a student graduated. The energies and resources of a young institution were rightly invested in recruiting students, hiring faculty, building a facility to call home, and raising scholarships. As Truett emerged from its teens into young-adulthood, the horizons of its mission began to expand. While educating students for ministry will always remain the core of Truett’s mission, over the past decade, leadership, imagination, resources, and providence have coalesced to create a range of opportunities and resources designed to equip God-called people for gospel ministry in and alongside the Church long after they graduate from seminary.

Truett Church Network (TCN) and the W. Winfred Moore Center for Ministry Effectiveness (CME)

The Truett Church Network, formed in 2019, has become the umbrella under which all of Truett's church-facing resources reside. TCN and CME seek to honor CME’s founding vision under Dr. Winfred Moore "to support, equip, and encourage pastors and their churches.”

In a post-COVID context, TCN has sought to provide regular resources through webinars and podcasts while also offering in-person and virtual small gatherings as well as two large conferences in Waco.

TCN launched the Pro Ecclesia and Five Good Thoughts podcasts. Pro Ecclesia is a long-form podcast that features conversations with pastors, leaders, and authors aimed to equip congregational ministers to lead their churches effectively. Five Good Thoughts is a quick-hitting podcast featuring ministry practitioners who provide quick thoughts on areas of pastoral leadership. Dean Todd Still also leads a monthly webinar called, “Todd Talks,” where he interviews leading pastors, professors, and authors from around the globe about life and ministry.

Office of Ministry Connections (OMC)

The OMC launched in 2015 in the hopes of better connecting Truett students and alumni to churches with staff needs. Since that time, it has grown into a premier office that provides help both to ministers and churches in the ministry transition process. Ably led by Jack Bodenhamer, DMin, OMC will connect with almost 500 churches in 2022 from around the country from various Baptist groups and other denominations. OMC will offer direct consultation with over 300 churches in their search process, up from 130 in 2017. The office will additionally collaborate with more than 70 alumni in their ministry search each year as well as assist all incoming and graduating Truett students in their search for well-suited ministry positions. Each week, Truett students fan out

TCN offers leadership huddles for ministers in their first few years of post-seminary ministry as well as “Reading Matters” groups where ministers gather to discuss great books.

Finally, TCN offers a Pastor’s Conference each spring that features a thought-leader in pastoral ministry and holds time and space for pastors to learn, forge friendships, and encourage each other in their pastoral callings.

In June 2023, TCN will partner with our Truett community to host a scriptural intensive with N.T. Wright, where Professor Wright will walk through a biblical book alongside Truett faculty and staff, pastors, and guests from near and far.

George W. Truett Theological Seminary’s Mission is to, “equip God-called people for gospel ministry in and alongside Christ’s Church by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching (KLC)

Under the Directorship of Joel Gregory, PhD, Professor of Preaching and holder of the George W. Truett Endowed Chair in Preaching and Evangelism, the KLC has developed two annual preaching conferences that draw both leading preachers and attendees from across the country.

Truett’s African American Preaching Conference, held September 27-29, 2022, packed approximately 350 attendees into Truett’s Paul W. Powell Chapel to hear eight renowned African American preachers.

November 15-17, 2022, the KLC hosted a National Preaching Conference, at FBC Waco, which featured another strong slate of preachers, both male and female and from various preaching traditions.

Between TCN and KLC, Truett now offers four pillar conference experiences that equip ministers in the preaching task, their exegetical study of Scripture, and pastoral leadership, with more than 2,000 ministers participating this year.

Office of Ministry Connections (OMC)

The OMC launched in 2015 in the hopes of better connecting Truett students and alumni to churches with staff needs. Since that time, it has grown into a premier office that provides help both to ministers and churches in the ministry transition process. Ably led by Jack Bodenhamer, DMin, OMC will connect with almost 500 churches in 2022 from around the country from various Baptist groups and other denominations. OMC will offer direct consultation with over 300 churches in their search process, up from 130 in 2017. The office will additionally collaborate with more than 70 alumni in their ministry search each year as well as assist all incoming and graduating Truett students in their search for well-suited ministry positions.

Each week, Truett students fan out around Central Texas and beyond, filling the pulpits of churches in need of a preacher. Shuttered during the height of COVID, demand rebounded last year so that students filled pulpits in over 100 different churches. Additionally, OMC helps connect Truett faculty and staff with interim and co-interim pastor positions. As of this writing, faculty and staff serve as interim or co-interim in five Texas Baptist churches.

Any minister or church, whether they have a direct connection to Baylor and Truett Seminary or not, is invited to contact OMC about help in their ministry search process. OMC provides training for search committees, resume editing, interview coaching, and leadership huddles designed to help pastors spiritually navigate the ministry transition journey.

Certificate of Ministry

Truett’s Online Certificate of Ministry, directed by David Tate, DMin, is designed for church members and leaders who desire further depth in their Christian life and ministry. Tate promotes this Certificate as “between Sunday School and seminary.” Certificate students comprise a diverse group, serving as bivocational pastors, Western Heritage pastors, Bible study leaders, youth or children’s pastors, lay leaders, deacons, elders, and more.

The Certificate program currently enrolls 209 students, and 180 students have received a ministry certificate in the last five years.

In 2019, Tate launched the first in-person seminars led by Truett faculty at one of Truett’s three campuses. These were re-launched this fall and upcoming seminars feature Dennis Tucker, PhD, teaching through his new Tyndale commentary on Job, Kimlyn Bender, PhD, teaching through his new Brazos Theological Commentary on 1 Corinthians, Robert Creech, PhD, teaching about “Family Systems and Congregational Life,” and Andy Arterbury, PhD, teaching “A Masterclass in Teaching in the Church.” These seminars are open both to certificate students and other pastors and leaders interested in continuing education.