MB Seminary Teaching Church
What is Teaching Church?
Teaching Churches are partnerships between MB Seminary and a local congregation to provide students and other learners with training and seminary-quality education that is contextualized for your church. Learners can earn undergraduate credits, graduate certificates, or even a master’s degree from their home church! Alternatively, anyone can participate in the teaching workshop weekend for their own personal interest, helping them to serve God and their church more effectively.
Courses typically take place over 9 weeks with a variety of online lectures or meetings, activities, assignments, and reflections. Teaching Church courses include a weekend in-person teaching workshop at a local church. Our current Teaching Church is Eastview Community Church.
What a Teaching Church course can offer you:
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Ongoing personal growth
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Leadership growth
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Confidence in theological knowledge
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Connecting with others & gaining community
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Complete courses towards a master's degree or certificate
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9-week online courses with one weekend in-person intensive — flexibility to fit in your schedule
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Courses in a range of engaging topics
Upcoming Workshops
How to Register for a Teaching Church Course
To register for the full course (to earn academic credit), you must enrol as a student with MB Seminary.
Enrolment options include graduate degree programs: MATL, MDIV, MACH, PMC, or apply as a non-degree student (to enrol in up to 4 courses).
After you are accepted into the program, you can register for full Teaching Church courses.
Financial Aid is available, including potential financial support from CCMBC and your church through the Leadership Development Partnership Grant (see below).
If you would like to attend the in-person workshops for personal enrichment, you can do so without enrolling as a student.
Earn a Certificate or Degree
Participating in a Teaching Church course is a great way to grow biblical and theological knowledge and gain community over two months. While there is no pressure for your involvement in these courses to be consecutive, ongoing learning and personal growth can greatly serve your church community. Completing a handful of courses can add up. Consider working towards a master's degree or post-master's certificate!
MB Seminary offers the following programs:
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Master of Arts in Transformational Leadership
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Master of Arts in Chaplaincy & Spiritual Care
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Master of Divinity
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Post-Masters Certificate in Spiritual Care
Leadership Development Partnership Grant (LDPG)
The Leadership Development Partnership Grant (LDPG) is a national initiative of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (CCMBC) to educate and train leaders who are called into ministry-related work. The LDPG partners with your church to provide 60% of your tuition to help you pursue studies, and to develop further ministry knowledge, experience, and skills.
How it works:
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The applicant must meet the LDPG eligibility requirements
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Your home church sends you and supports you. A discernment process with you home church is essential to the process
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The applicant must apply for the LDPG
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If approved, the student will receive LDPG funding for course tuition up to a maximum of two graduate courses per calendar year (Jan 1-Dec 31). Tuition will be paid by the CCMBC (20%), MB Seminary (20%), the student’s supporting MB church (20%), and the student (40%).
LDPG approval criteria is specified in the LDPG Overview and Application Instructions.
This form needs to be completed by the applicant and submitted to the CCMBC for review.
Please note that the application will not be reviewed until the supporting church has submitted a discernment team recommendation of the applicant.
To access LDPG tuition funding, a student must complete and submit a Tuition Funding Request Form at least 30-days before the starting date of their eligible course(s).
This resource is designed to help churches cultivate a posture of Spirit-led discernment and create intentional environments for developing leaders. Fill out this form for a free digital copy of the book. (MBCM churches were sent a physical copy by mail in July 2026.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Participants can register for the in-person intensive as a workshop for personal interest. Participants do not need to be registered as a student to attend. This option does not include academic credit. Registration details can be found here.
The aim of the LDPG is to equip those who are active in Christian ministry and who intend to continue in this calling upon graduation. However, Christian service and leadership should be understood broadly, and not confined to pastoral leadership alone. The Canadian Conference of MB Churches wants to support leaders by equipping them biblically and theologically so they can serve effectively in many valuable roles within the church.
New applications submitted after the following deadlines will still be received, but may not be processed in time before the corresponding academic term.
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Jun 30 – for courses beginning on or after Sep 1
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Oct 31 – for courses beginning on or after Jan 1
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Mar 31 – for courses beginning on or after Jun 1
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For questions about LDPG, contact keithreed@mbseminary.ca
For any other questions about Teaching Church and studies at MB Seminary, contact study@mbseminary.ca