Dearest Immanuel Family,
We pray you are experiencing the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What a joy it is to worship with you each week as we learn to know Jesus, follow Jesus, and share Jesus! We look forward to a meaningful discussion with you on April 6 from 11:30 to 13:30 PM. Please remember that the second service will begin at 13:45!
We feel the need to apologize for the lack of information and clarification regarding the Residency Program. The Pastor and Deacons (P&D) have been discussing this for months, and I would like to provide some background.
In the Q&A session in April 2024, I was asked about my vision of all the ministries of the church. I responded that, according to Ephesians 4, my role is to equip people for ministry. I said something like, “I will train you to do the work so that we can each serve the Lord together using our spiritual gifts.”
When I arrived as your senior pastor in September 2024, I began the process of understanding the inner workings of IBC Madrid. I am so thankful for Pastor David and Susie and all the work they have done! I am honored to come alongside every leader at Immanuel! I am also grateful for the Refresh Process that began in 2023. Sharon and I arrived just in time to participate in the Leadership Pipeline Training, which provided a deeper dive into the church’s leadership structure. Through all these processes, the church leadership has identified the following areas that need to be addressed and improved:
Communication:
Communication channels need to be more clear. We must practice simple, direct communication. Ministry teams need assistance in defining their purpose, practices, and plans. Although we have many teams, communication among them, between them, and with leadership remains a challenge.
Church Culture (Structure):
We started by analyzing the church’s leadership structure, beginning with my own role. When I arrived, there was no clear job description for the senior pastor, so we worked to formulate one from various sources. At the same time, we needed to clarify and define the roles of elder and deacon to ensure they are as biblically faithful as possible. Alongside these, we are developing a document explaining how these three roles relate and work together. The P&D has committed to a year-long process of prayerfully working through these matters and will present them to the church membership in due course.
Community (Team) Building:
The heartbeat of the church is people working together to fulfill the roles for which God has created and gifted them. We do this through teams. We began meeting with team leaders to encourage them, cast vision, and help them clarify their purpose. Each team leader was asked to meet with their team to clearly and simply define their purpose, practices, and plans. We also asked them to submit Team Planning and Budget Request forms to support their goals. In January 2025, we gathered all team leaders for a Team Building training.
Residency Program:
Shortly after arriving in September 2024, we learned about the Residency Program offered by the International Baptist Convention. We immediately began considering how we could use this program to raise up the next generation of leaders at IBC Madrid.
A resident is another word for an intern or apprentice, someone who gains hands-on experience while serving in the local church. At IBC Madrid, we have had interns and apprentices who served for a season. With this opportunity from the International Baptist Convention, we can engage more deeply in training the next generation for ministry. An intern or apprentice will serve for three months to a year.
An intern fulfills a short-term need in the church, typically serving for three to six months. This is usually a student who assists a team or minister for a summer or semester.
An apprentice learns from a team leader or minister to serve in a deeper capacity. An apprentice is a student who is being mentored to do what their mentor does. This is a broad category, and an apprentice can serve in nearly any role in the church. Both the mentor and apprentice agree on a set timeframe and expectations for the apprenticeship. One of our core values is for every leader to train someone to “pass the baton.” Every leader should be intentionally investing in someone, training them to step into their role when they move on or transition to another position.
A resident serves in a higher capacity for a set period—one year, renewable annually for up to three years. The IBC (International Baptist Convention) offers financial assistance of up to €10,000 annually, matched by the local church. The church and resident agree on a ministry-training assignment. This assistance is not a salary but a stipend meant to allow for a higher commitment of time. A resident serves between 10 to 20 hours a week.
The most important qualification for a resident, intern, or apprentice is calling. The Lord calls some people to serve the church in a deeper capacity, sometimes referred to as “full-time ministry.” Ephesians 4 is instructive here, as it lists five roles—Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Shepherd, and Teacher—whose purpose is to equip the saints. A strong sense of calling is essential before pursuing further education or advancing in ministry responsibility. We believe that some of those we apprentice will enter full-time ministry in the future.
The second qualification of a developing leader is ministry experience. Many who are already serving feel a call to greater service. There is often an internal struggle and resistance to the calling, perhaps due to fear, but ultimately, surrendering and submitting to God’s call is the next step in their spiritual growth.
Residency is the logical next step. As a church body, we want to support those who feel called to serve, even if they do not yet know the specifics. Under supervision and with quarterly reviews, residents are guided through various aspects of ministry, providing real-time, hands-on practice while under the care of a supervising minister.
Please note that every follower of Jesus Christ is commanded (Matthew 28:18-20), gifted, and empowered to share the Good News! We all share the responsibility of playing our part in the Body of Christ (the church) and being salt and light to the world. The local church is the primary place where the next generation of church leaders is trained. Seminaries are valuable for deepening one’s studies, but the local church is where leaders are mentored, modeled, and empowered.
We must be intentional about our leadership development pathway. To do that, we need to identify our process and clearly define expectations and opportunities. We are currently working through this process.
As your pastor, I ask you to pray! Ask our Father to reveal His will and Kingdom plan for IBC Madrid. I envision providing many training opportunities, aiming for at least one per month. I also hope to utilize apprentices, interns, and residents while continuing to engage our faithful volunteers in service to the Lord. Thank you.
Your loving shepherd,
Pastor Mark