Training Leaders for the Church: How Steinbach MB and MB Seminary Are Partnering for Theological Education
- michelle9498
- Mar 14
- 4 min read
A Need for Local Leadership Development
For many church leaders and lay members, accessing seminary education can be a challenge. Traditional programs often require time, travel, and financial commitments that aren’t feasible for those already serving in ministry or working full-time. Recognizing this gap, Steinbach MB Church partnered with MB Seminary to bring theological education directly to the local church.
“This initiative allows us to offer seminary courses twice a year at our church,” says Kelby Friesen, pastor at Steinbach MB. “It’s a great way to provide high-quality biblical training without requiring people to leave their jobs or uproot their lives.”
Now, after two years of hosting these courses, the impact is beginning to show.
How It Works: A Flexible Learning Model
The Steinbach MB and MB Seminary partnership offers a unique and flexible learning experience.
Each course is held over a single weekend—a Friday evening and Saturday—so participants can engage with the material without disrupting their schedules.
Attendees can choose their level of commitment:
For-credit students complete additional coursework toward a seminary degree.
Undergraduate-level students take a lighter version of the course.
Workshop attendees simply come for the weekend teaching, without assignments or exams.
MB Seminary provides professors, ensuring that participants receive strong theological education.
“We’ve designed this to be accessible to as many people as possible,” Friesen explains. “You don’t have to be a full-time pastor to benefit from this.”
The next course, called Becoming Like Jesus Together, happening April 11-12, 2024, will be taught by Dr. Brian Cooper.
“This is an important course that helps us understand what we believe as Mennonite Brethren,” Friesen shares. “I think our church is really looking forward to it.”
Why This Partnership Matters
The heart of this initiative is leadership development.
“Many of the people taking these courses are not full-time pastors,” Friesen explains. “They are teachers, radio hosts, worship leaders, and church board members. These are the people serving in key leadership roles in our church.”
By equipping lay leaders with theological training, churches become stronger, more theologically grounded, and better equipped to serve their communities.
“This is about growing our leaders from within,” Friesen says. “We don’t want to rely on Bible colleges alone to supply leaders for us.”
The courses have also been a great opportunity for community building.
“We spend a lot of time together during the weekend, having deep discussions and sharing insights,” Friesen shares. “It’s an experience that strengthens our relationships as a church.”
The Impact: Real Change in the Church
Since launching this initiative, Steinbach MB has seen growth in both participation and spiritual depth.
Increased focus on prayer – A prayer group formed after one course and now meets weekly before worship for those who don’t know Jesus. This went on for a number of months,” Friesen shares.
Stronger mission focus – The idea to go to Thailand for a missions trip actually started from one of these courses, Friesen says. “We were learning about missional living, and that sparked a desire to put it into action. That led to a team from our church going to Thailand to see the gospel spread among the Myanmar people there.”
Lay leader development – Church board members have taken courses that helped them analyze and strengthen church ministries.
Challenges and the Future of the Initiative
While the program has been successful, there are challenges, particularly in terms of sustainability.
“Right now, Steinbach MB covers part of the cost, and we need enough people signing up for credit or attending the workshop to make it viable,” Friesen shares. “We’re hoping to see more partnership from MBCM and other churches to help sustain and grow this initiative.”
There’s also the hope that this model could expand beyond Steinbach MB.
“We’ve invited other MBCM churches to participate, but Steinbach is a bit out of the way for some,” Friesen acknowledges. “I think having a more centralized, provincial approach could make this even more accessible.”
Despite these hurdles, Friesen remains optimistic.
“We believe this is an important way to equip our churches for the future,” he says.
A Message to MBCM Churches
Friesen wants pastors and church leaders across MBCM churches to consider the value of this initiative.
“This is an incredible opportunity to train your leaders,” he says. “MB Seminary is providing excellent teaching, and we as churches need to take advantage of it.”
For churches that are curious about the program, he offers a simple invitation:
“Come visit. Our next course is happening April 11-12. It’s open to pastors, leaders, and anyone who wants to learn.”
For Friesen, this initiative is more than just offering seminary courses—it’s about building strong, theologically grounded churches.
“We don’t have to create all of this from scratch,” he says. “MB Seminary is here to help, and we as churches need to take responsibility for training the leaders who are already among us.”
How to Get Involved
Next course: April 11-12, 2024
Location: Steinbach MB Church
By making theological education local, flexible, and accessible, Steinbach MB is helping equip churches for the future.
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