Pinnacle Partnering with Theological Educators

How many times have you or a minister friend said, “I never learned that in seminary”? Some professors would say that you just weren’t listening, but I think we can all agree that there are challenges and opportunities one encounters in church life that we never anticipated in seminary. Too often there is a discrepancy between what we considered in the classroom and what we encounter in the church.

Pinnacle addresses this discrepancy through Lead Pastor Cohorts, the Leadership Coaching Project, and individual coaching, but what if we could provide some assistance earlier in a minister’s career? Pinnacle Associates is reaching out to theological educators to offer experiences that will enrich and extend the learning of those in academic programs.

For example, Pinnacle has partnered with Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Shawnee, Kansas, to provide online peer groups and individual coaching for students in the seminary’s first Doctor of Ministry cohort. This twenty-four month effort is funded through the seminary’s Transformed by the Spirit Leadership Center which is underwritten by the Mission Initiative Fund of American Baptist Churches, USA.

Heather Entrekin, the Des Peres Professor of Congregational Health and director of the D.Min. program, said, “Ministry has never been an easy calling, but the stresses and demands besetting congregational leaders in our day can be overwhelming. At Central, we are convinced that coaching provides a unique partnership which can help a pastor or seminary student live fully into his or her calling. When we received this grant for transformational leadership, coaching for D.Min. students was our first priority. We are confident that coaching will not only enrich students' academic experience but help them find balance, strength and insight for their ministries as well. My own experience with Pinnacle training and coaching made Pinnacle a natural choice for this exciting new program at Central.”

Pinnacle has also developed the First Call Project to assist those who have just completed their seminary degrees and are serving in their first placement. The First Call Project combines leadership coaching, life coaching, and professional training into a one-year program for seminary graduates. There is the option to renew at the year’s end. Participants are involved in a retreat, on-line training, and individual coaching by Pinnacle associates.
The First Call program is available to seminaries and theological schools who wish to offer this to a cohort of recent graduates but it is also accessible to individual graduates.

For more information, please contact Mark Tidsworth at markt@pinnaclelead.com or Ircel Harrison at ircelh@pinnaclelead.com.