Walk the

journey together.

The Call to Serve

Application Deadline

March 31, 2026

Applying as a Cohort Facilitator

Are you a minister with a heart for accompanying and encouraging your colleagues in ministry? Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary invites seasoned clergy to apply to serve as Facilitators for the Bridge to Ministry new clergy cohort launching in 2026.

We are seeking ministers with at least seven years of congregational ministry experience who can offer wisdom, steady presence, and pastoral imagination to early-career clergy navigating the joys and challenges of vocational life.

Facilitators will receive:

  • Training and ongoing support from the program team

  • A $1,000 annual honorarium

  • Opportunities to deepen your own leadership, community-building, and reflective practice

Qualifications:

  • At least 7 years of congregational ministry experience

  • MDiv or equivalent theological degree

  • Minister in good standing within your denomination

  • Two references: one from a ministry colleague and one from a congregant

  • A commitment to fostering healthy, life-giving spaces for clergy

  • All denominations are warmly welcomed and encouraged to apply

If you feel called to accompany clergy in a season of professional and spiritual growth, we would be grateful to receive your application.

FACILITATOR APPLICATION

The Call to Grow

Applications Open

April 2026

Applying as a Cohort Participant

The Bridge to Ministry cohort is a three-year commitment designed to provide consistent, meaningful accompaniment through the earliest and most formative seasons of ordained ministry. Each cohort is made up of 6–8 clergy who journey together through monthly online gatherings and a three-day in-person retreat each year.

This rhythm allows trust to deepen, relationships to form, and real learning to unfold over time—not just in moments, but across the arc of your early ministry.

Each cohort is guided by a trained and experienced facilitator who offers structure, wisdom, and gentle leadership, while honoring the deep learning that happens when peers reflect together. Facilitators do not provide supervision or evaluation; instead, they create a hospitable and thoughtful space where new clergy can listen, share, and grow alongside one another.

Participants learn not only from the facilitator, but from the lived experience, questions, and insights of their fellow cohort members. The result is a community of practice—one that supports spiritual grounding, vocational clarity, and sustainable ministry through shared wisdom and mutual care.

Applying to Bridge to Ministry is an invitation to invest in yourself, your calling, and a community that will walk with you through the holy and hard first years of pastoral leadership.

Eligibility

Participants must:

  • Be a graduate of an accredited seminary within the last 3 years

  • Currently serve as a congregational minister or pastoral resident

  • Be in good standing within their denomination

  • Be willing to commit to monthly virtual gatherings and the annual retreat

  • Ministers from all denominations are welcome

Applications Open

April 2026