Register your interest in the MTA, beginning Sept 2023
For more information and to be notified when applications open in January 2023, fill out your details below.
We value your privacy, a member of the MTA will be in touch with further detail and by supplying your email you agree to be contacted about the MTA now and in the future.
FAQs
Where does the Ministry Training Academy take place?
The in-person weekly teaching day (Tuesdays) and the ‘Book/Doctrine in a Day’ events will all take place in Trinity Church, 312 King Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5LL. In the coming years the MTA will relocate to Trinity’s fully renovated premises on Queen Street when the work there is complete.
Who is the course aimed at?
MTA has the particular aim of training men to preach. But it is open to all men and women who would like to learn how to handle the Bible well in many different types of ministry, and who would like to engage in some theological study that might increase their effectiveness as members of their local church.
Why the primary aim of training men to preach?
MTA is committed to a complementarian view of Christian ministry which views the office of teaching elder or pastor as one for men to occupy as they preach God’s word to God’s people. This commitment leads us to want to identify, train and develop the next generation of pastors and teachers here in the north east of Scotland.
Why start something new when other courses already exist?
Many other excellent church-based courses already exist and we will work in partnership with many of them. We have shared our plans with others and are developing warm and encouraging connections with others. There is currently nothing like the MTA in the north-east and students have to travel significant distances to other cities or are limited to only online classes. We want to provide an excellent course on our own doorstep and, as we do so, strengthen the links among evangelical churches in our city.
How does MTA complement formal theological education?
We hope MTA will come to be seen as offering something necessary but not sufficient. Churches can help train people for ministry in the way that theological college cannot. Churches can provide hands-on training in preaching from engaged practitioners and expose students to the realities of pastoral ministry. But this is not sufficient for full-time ministry training. Bible colleges and seminaries can offer more detailed courses in biblical languages, the full range of Christian doctrine, and the full scope of church history. The MTA will complement this by offering a narrower focus on the use of the Bible in ministry and we hope that some who study with us will go on to further study in other places.
What resources are available to help my studies on the MTA?
The full cost of the course is each student’s responsibility, either personally or in partnership with their home church. MTA does not have any grants or bursaries available to help with course costs, nor does it help with any aspect of student accommodation. As an MTA student you will have access (and borrowing rights) to The Schaeffer Library which is housed in Trinity Church and which is growing into an outstanding collection of over 1000 commentaries and theological books covering everything from church history and doctrine to Christian living. The MTA will direct your reading for each of the modules on the course and will seek to have as much available in the library as possible.
How much does it cost?
The two year MTA course costs £800 per year (£400 payable at the start of each semester)
Why are the course fees so cheap?
The MTA is taught by men who are working full-time in pastoral ministry which means that their churches are each subsidising the course by covering the costs of their time and ministry. Each church is wholeheartedly committed to making excellent theological teaching and ministry training available at an affordable cost to those who need it.
Can I combine the one day a week with other study in my local church?
Yes. Some who do MTA will be ministry trainees or church interns and those fellowships may offer further input in a form that will be decided by their particular church. The MTA aims to both grow cross-denominational partnership by training together and allow time for each church to provide further input and training in its own theological and denominational distinctives.
Is there any parking available?
Trinity Church on King Street does not have its own car park. There is very limited parking available on nearby streets. There are also nearby city centre car parks where vehicles may be parked at your own cost, and there are also excellent public transport links into the city centre.
Is lunch provided each day?
No. Refreshments will be provided each Tuesday on arrival, in coffee and tea breaks throughout the day, but lunch is the responsibility of each student.
How much access will I have to the pastors who teach the modules?
Lots. MTA believes passionately in the importance of in-person learning with a teacher and mentor in the classroom. The pastors teaching each module will be fully available on the days they teach, over coffee breaks and lunch etc, and part of the aim of the course is to build good relationships among all who attend. At the same time, MTA is not a replacement for membership in a local church and the primary place of accountability and pastoral relationship will remain each student’s home church.
Do you have to be planning to be a full-time pastor/preacher to apply to MTA?
No. We hope some will go on to full-time ministry having benefitted from MTA but the course is open to all who simply want to learn how to handle the Bible more effectively in. ministry.
Do I need any academic qualifications to attend, and will the course lead to any qualifications at the end?
No academic qualifications are required to attend, and no formal qualifications are earned through completing MTA. It is not an accredited course. The main requirements to attend are your own desire to study and learn in an evangelical environment and your home church’s support of your enrolment.
Do I require the support of my own church to attend the MTA?
Yes. We work in partnership with local churches and all attendees of the MTA will ordinarily be members of churches, in good standing with those congregations and their leadership, and we ask for your home church to support your application.
Apply for the MTA
Applications are now open. Applications for September 2024 should be submitted by 29th March 2024.