One Good Intern Deserves Another (Part 1)

By Tom Zobrist

Although I do not consider myself an expert on pastoral internships by any stretch of the imagination, I do have a lot of experience with internships that enable me to share some of the benefits and pitfalls of this vital ministry of the local church. With the dearth of good pastors available, even though we have multitudes of those willing to throw their names in the hat, we realize at some point that something is missing in the process of training. We have many good Bible colleges and seminaries that are turning out well educated theologians, but they lack the experience that they need to be successful in the local church. How are they going to get that experience if there are no churches willing to give them a chance to get the practicum they need? Not every church can do this and you might be surprised, but it’s not the size of the church that matters. It is the size of the commitment to the internship program that matters. So, what type of commitment is required?

The Church Body Makes a Financial Commitment

When I was in training, we were required to complete a 4-week internship to satisfy the requirements for our degree. I mentioned this to my home church pastor who felt like I needed more than just four weeks. He offered a summer internship where I would get more experience. Although this sounded good, this would be difficult as I had a wife and three children. To just pick up and move 400 miles for the summer would not be feasible unless the church was financially committed to the internship—which they were in a very generous way. They provided housing, a salary which paid my rent at our home where school was, and a love offering at the end of the summer to help with fall tuition.

If we are going to engage in internships for pastors and missionaries, the church needs to realize they are making a financial commitment. They commit to house them, feed them, help them with special needs and when they leave, make sure they are prepared for their place of service for God. The church also needs to know that they are to help train the intern by allowing him to serve with the pastor and allow the pastor time to spend with the intern. The church needs to provide the time and resources for the intern to travel with the pastor, attend conferences and meetings where the intern can meet other pastors and experience various ministry opportunities. These all require money the intern may not have. I know there are differing philosophies regarding how the expenses are covered, but we have found that by the church providing these expenses it is freeing for the intern to be able to get the experience they need without fearing where their next meal is coming from.

The church will also sacrifice by allowing the intern to preach, teach, or do whatever else needs to be done in gaining ministry experience. Never host an intern thinking that you are getting a cheap staff member. If you do, you’ll be disappointed. Interns are to be trained, allowed to observe, and then put into practice what they have learned, and be allowed to make mistakes. The pastor should be right there to guide and help them deal with successes and failures in their work, but the church may have to sit through some poor messages. When the interns have this opportunity to practice and fail, they will be better equipped when they are in their own church or place of ministry.

Having experienced several internships over the years, our church has been blessed in many ways, not the least of which is helping our elders see the need for internships. Now they want to invest in this important need. Our church is currently in the process of purchasing a home to use for interns or a “prophet’s house,” so we can have an ongoing internship program, perhaps hosting a different intern each year or portion of a year, whatever their school might require. If the entire church does not know the value and is not behind this, the internship program will fail the intern.

The church may also consider education benefits for their interns to help them further their theological training. This could be as little as a love offering as they go back to school or paying for further education online while they are doing the internship itself. You are blessing a church that will benefit from this future pastor or missionary. Many pastoral interns may find themselves led to the mission field. That is an exciting opportunity to invest in sending a missionary to another country and the building of God’s church there.

The Pastor and Elders Make a Time Commitment

I experienced a summer internship while in school and an almost one-year internship after I graduated. When I was called to Liberty Bible Church in the summer of 1988, it was that second internship that I left. Both of my internship pastors were always willing to let me come into their offices and talk. I’m sure I was a “time-waster” for them but they never made me feel like it was a bother. They were there to listen, instruct, encourage, critique, counsel—whatever I needed. They gave me opportunities to lead ministries of all kinds, attend leadership meetings, lead in worship, preach, teach, and lead Bible studies. Their wives spent time with mine, helping her understand the responsibilities and trials of a pastor’s wife. They encouraged us and prayed with us and gave us invaluable advice when we were seeking God’s will. I can say without a doubt that I would not be at Liberty and I would not be in the IFCA if it were not for these men, as they were both IFCA members. Because of this, they taught me the importance of IFCA fellowship by taking me to regional meetings to meet other pastors. It was through these meetings that I connected with the church I now serve.

When I was ordained, I was given a pen holder to set on my desk from one of the men under whom I had interned. It had inscribed on it a driving verse for my ministry: 2 Timothy 2:2,

And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

In relation to pastoral internships, they will not be successful if you do not have a committed elder board that wants to be part of this process also. They must be “faithful men” who are ready to pour into young men the knowledge they have gained as lay elders serving in their various roles with the gifts they have.

Over the years, we have designed our internships so that our intern divides his meeting time among all the leaders in the church. This is done so he can glean what they have learned about finances, leading Sunday School, creating men’s ministries, planning and leading worship, leading an AWANA or similar children’s program, and how to effectively work in a youth program. This gives the intern the broadest experience possible so they can go into and effectively lead any of these ministries and know how to identify faithful men and women to help them. The more ministries in which he can watch others and help lead, the better his experience will be.

Tom Zobrist is Senior Pastor of Liberty Bible Church of Eureka, IL. He also serves as the President of the Board of Directors of IFCA International.