Pastoral Internship
Interested in DRBC’s Internship Program?
The Del Ray Baptist Church (DRBC) internship is designed to assist men who desire to grow in their understanding of the Bible, the church, and how the Gospel intersects with everyday life. Most men who take part in the internship have pastoral ministry as their aim, though this is not a requirement. Former interns have gone on to be faithful members of their church, lay pastors, full-time pastors, and church-planters.
Please reference the syllabus linked at the bottom of this page for important information about the internship. Our internship runs for 9 months and provides unique learning opportunities that include reading, writing, observing, and serving. What follows is an overview of the program and a sample schedule. If you are interested in applying for the internship, click here and fill out our online application.
Interns will engage in a variety of learning opportunities, including 1-1 discipleship with our pastoral staff, while engaging in a fast-paced, robust program of study intended to complement all other aspects of the internship. Interns will have weekly assignments from books, articles and other resources as well as papers due related to readings. Each week, Garrett will meet with the interns as a group to discuss their readings, writing and what they are observing in church life. Twice each week, interns will attend morning Bible Time studying through different books of the Bible, as well as attend weekly staff meetings and elder meetings every other week. For the Spring semester, interns will engage in a comprehensive course on Biblical Counseling, as well.
The internship spans Fall (September-December) and Spring (January-May) semesters, and a sample schedule is included in the syllabus below along with a lot of other helpful information for applicants.
If an internship at DRBC sounds of interest to you as a future pastor or church leader, please reach out and let us know. Wherever the Lord leads you to serve, it is our prayer that He would use us all in the service of His Kingdom as we await Jesus’ glorious return.
Sincerely,
DRBC Pastoral Staff
info@drbc.org
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Currently, we offer internships beginning in the Fall (September) through the Spring semester (May), for a total of 9 months.
-
Of course!
-
Certain seminaries, including The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (elective credits through the Ministry Apprenticeship Program) and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (elective credits through the Equip Program), have offered credit hours to those who participate in the internship program. Since it is the seminary’s decision, check with them first.
-
We encourage those who are seriously considering or currently in pastoral ministry to apply for the program.
-
Applications are due by February 1 each year. Decisions about the following internship class will be made by April 1 each year. DRBC accepts applications for the next two years. Apply below for the next class or the class in two years. Applications are considered from February through March each year.
-
Because the internship is for those interested in pastoral ministry, we do not provide internships for women. However, the Equipped to Counsel portion of the membership in the Spring semester is open to wives, as well as others in DRBC’s congregation.
-
A college degree is usually expected for intern candidates. Past interns have applied before, during, and after their theological education.
-
Yes. Please contact us at info@drbc.org to discuss the proficiency level of English needed to benefit from our program.
-
No. We welcome applications from international applicants. We encourage those applying from abroad to apply at least one year in advance, and to contact us at info@delraybaptist.org to discuss the visa application process.
-
Interns are allotted a $2,000/month stipend and are encouraged to do some personal support raising to cover other expenses.
-
The intern program is a full-time commitment, but it is up to you to determine if a part-time job is needed to sustain your family financially. We would strongly encourage raising support and would be happy to connect with you on strategies for navigating this decision.
-
Interns are free to choose whichever educational option is best for their children, including Virginia’s public schools, private schools, homeschooling or whatever suits your family best.
-
No vacation is provided, and interns should not expect to travel for personal ministry purposes (speaking engagements, conferences, etc.). The church office is closed on government holidays, though sometimes interns still have papers due on those days. Usually interns have a full day off each Saturday.
-
Interns are involved in various ministries of the church. However, interns will not be responsible to oversee any specific ministry. Much of what interns do involves reading, writing and observing the daily ministry of DRBC.