Pastoral Intern Program

Being in close proximity to Westminster Seminary California, the consistory (pastor and elders) of OURC desires to participate in the life of men who desire the noble task (1 Tim. 3:1) of pursuing the ministry of the Word and Sacraments. In accordance with article 3 of the Church Order of the United Reformed Churches in North America, our pastoral intern program is the means by which we “assume supervision of all aspects of [the intern’s] training, including his licensure to exhort, and assure that he receives a thoroughly reformed theological education.” The following links and downloadable .pdf documents constitute our developing Handbook for our pastoral interns:


Introduction


Church Polity Helps

  1. Simplified Parlimentary Procedure
  2. From Idea to Action: Overtures in Assemblies—Rev. Stephen Donovan

Preaching Helps

  1. How to Evaluate Your Sermons—Joel R. Beeke
  2. Guidelines for Intern Sermons—Daniel R. Hyde
  3. Guidelines for Candidacy Sermons—Classis Southwest US, URCNA

Liturgical Helps

  1. Scriptures & Prayers for Leading in Worship—Daniel R. Hyde

Examination Helps

  1. How to Prepare Spiritually for Ordination Exams—Ryan M. McGraw

Readings

  1. Bad Behavior on Social Media Can Cost Recruits [the principles in this article relate to seminarians and future ministry]
  2. By What Means May Ministers Best Win Souls?—Robert Traill
  3. Positive Preaching and the Modern Mind, Chapters 1–3—P.T. Forsyth [Google Books, Archive.org]
  4. Problems of Christian Leadership—John R. W. Stott
  5. Simplicity in Preaching—J.C. Ryle
  6. The Trials of Theological College—John W. Woodhouse [This chapter is taken from The Trials of Theology: Becoming a 'Proven Worker' in a Dangerous Business, ed. Andrew Cameron and Brian Rosner (Fearn, Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 2010) and is used here with their kind permission.]
  7. The Trouble with Ministers (1)—Wybren H. Oord [This article is taken from The Outlook 64:4 (July/August 2014): 19–21, and is used here with the kind permission of Reformed Fellowship.]
  8. The Utter Necessity of a Godly Life—Joel R. Beeke [This chapter is taken from Reforming Pastoral Ministry, ed. John Armstrong (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2001) and is used here with their kind permission.]
  9. The Work of the Pastor—William Still

Former Pastoral Interns

We have been blessed over the years to shepherd godly men who have gone on to pastoral and academic labors for the kingdom of God: