At McAfee, we realize that there is only so much that can be taught in a classroom. The best kind of learning often occurs after graduation, as our students embark on their journey as ministers in their communities.

But the transition from the classroom to the pastorate can be tough. Research shows that many seminary graduates drop out of ministry completely within five years of graduation, simply because they lack the resources they need to feel confident in their pastoral identity.

For this reason, McAfee has partnered with The Lilly Foundation, Inc., to give our graduates a strong network of support as they enter their first years of congregational ministry. Thanks to a two million dollar grant through the Making Connections Initiative, students can serve as paid pastoral residents in local churches for two years after graduation, where they experience all the “firsts” of congregational ministry in a safe, supportive environment.

Depending on the needs of each participating church, some students work in single-staff pastorates, where they are supported by a peer group of other residents and supervised by Christian Leadership Coaches. The majority of students serve in multiple staff churches, where they are mentored by seasoned pastors as they share in the responsibility of congregational care. In every church, residents also receive continuous encouragement and feedback from their Resident Support Committees, made up of members of their congregations. Finally, some pastoral residents also participate in a parish-based Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program, designed especially for them by the Care and Counseling Center of Georgia.

Since the pastoral residency program began in 2005, participating graduates and churches are sending us a clear message: this program works, and it works well. Residents are receiving the resources they need to survive and succeed, and congregations are learning how to support their residents through the challenges and joys of leading a church.  As our residents grow into their pastoral identity with confidence and solid training, so do our partnering churches emerge into a new sense of their role as teaching congregations, enjoying the unique opportunity to guide new ministers as they answer the call to serve Christ.