Church Minister

On a church minister apprenticeship course, you’ll help offer leadership to local churches and support in areas such as worship and community action.

During your apprenticeship, you will be taught to help and supervise other practitioners in worship leadership, preaching, pastoral care, faith development facilitation, and community action.

Interacting with your church members and the larger community, authorities and organisations of your denomination, and community institutions will be a regular aspect of your role (often including schools and local councils).

You’ll be required to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, in various venues, including churches and chapels, community centres, the minister’s home, and other people’s homes. 

Following your church ministry training, you will serve as a leader in one or more local churches. After completing the apprenticeship, you may be ordained in various churches.

What you’ll learn

On a church minister apprenticeship course, you’ll learn to:

• Execute effective collaborative leadership and management in one or more churches, including paid staff and volunteers, by deploying and refining a range of methods as required, as well as analysing their effects and implications.
• Handle the power and authority that comes with being a church leader in the right way.
• Participate in and/or lead meetings on duties and governance in the church and, if applicable, the larger community.
• Participate in and establish teams to support existing church or community activities or start new ones.
• Encourage, encourage, and promote the mission and ministry of the whole church.
• Encourage the growth and witness of the church to the gospel.
• Interpret complex issues in the church and wider society regarding their cultural, historical, economic, social, political, and religious characteristics.
• Communicate effectively through various media, determining the optimal technique for the intended audience.
• Use sophisticated theological and pastoral knowledge to lead worship and preach with creativity and insight at various services, responding to the needs of varied communities (for example, the size of the congregation, whether or not children are present, whether or not the congregation are regular worshippers).
• Provide adequate pastoral care to anybody who wants it, whether within or outside the church, in all cases.
• Recognise relevant problems and respond with empathy, honesty, and intellect while respecting individuality.
• Use a range of successful methods to aid individuals and groups in expanding their understanding and practice of spirituality and religion.
• Inquire about the appropriateness and effectiveness of such replies.
• Create and explore opportunities to represent their religious community in many public settings (such as schools, civic events, community organisations, and interfaith groups), and work for the greater good.
• Engage in personal prayer and faith-building by creatively, critically, and ethically engaging with the Bible.
• Determine their own personal and professional development needs, as well as effective methods for addressing them.
• Build on their biblical and theological knowledge to guide their thinking using reflective practice techniques to enhance their faith and service.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• Depending on the employer, but likely A-levels or equivalent qualifications or relevant experience may include eligibility for ordination within the denomination.
• Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level before taking the end-point assessment.

Assessment methods

The End Point Assessment consists of two distinct assessment methods: 

• Professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence
• Work-based project and project report

Duration, level, subjects and potential salary upon completion

Apprenticeship standard

More information about the Level 6 Church Minister Apprenticeship standard can be found here.

Apprenticeship end point assessment

For more information about the End Point Assessment Process, please read the Institute of Apprenticeships’ information page.