You want to
train a leader
but don't know how
Many churches want to raise up future pastors, elders, or missionaries — but the current path leads them away. Traditional seminary often means sending someone off for 3+ years, disconnecting them from your church. And when they do return (if they return), they’re often still green — academically informed but lacking real-life experience.
Meanwhile, the need keeps growing, and local churches remain short on competent, trusted leaders.
Stay, serve, grow
- in context
At Aquila Theological Institute, we believe your church can train its own leaders
— without sending them away.
The Aquila Apprenticeship is a competency-based training model that equips leaders to grow where they already serve — under the guidance of their local church.
Here’s what makes it different:
Competency-Based: Progress isn’t measured by credit hours, but by growth in character, knowledge, and ministry skills assessed by 3 mentors.
Local-church Led: Apprentices stay embedded in your church community, under the care of your own leadership team.
Praxis-Driven: Real ministry happens in real time: preaching, discipling, leading, learning — all shaped by day-to-day experience.
Flexible and Modular: Course material, tools, and resources are tailored to each church's emphasis and context.
You don’t have to choose between formal training and local faithfulness. With Aquila, you get both.
How it works
1. Explore Apprenticeship
Discover our tailored, competency-based modules that equip for leadership through Kingdom, character and context.
2. Become a Partner
Together we set up a pathway that fits your church — from lay leaders to future church planters.
3. Train While Serving Locally
Apprentices grow through hands-on ministry, supported by 3 mentors and our platform. An academic and network mentor teams up with a member of your leadership team (as the ministry mentor) in your local church and walks with you through the journey.
Why it matters
If no training path exists, potential leaders will stay stuck — or leave to be trained elsewhere.
But when your church owns the process, something changes. Your people grow. Your culture deepens. Your mission multiplies.
When training is local, relational, and rooted in the life of the church, the fruit lasts. Apprentices come out of the process not only with theological depth — but also with real pastoral experience, tested character, and deep roots in their home church.
Your church has what it takes to raise its next leaders.
We’re just here to help.