Our PROPEL project launched in earnest this year, with a lot happening behind the scenes to lay the groundwork for a national initiative to identify, recruit, train, and support the next generation of Canadian pastoral leaders.
A reminder: PROPEL is a five-year initiative funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment, a partnership between Northwest and fourteen church networks, schools, and research organizations across Canada and the US. Its six goals are organized into two pillars, one focused on recruiting and developing pastors through church networks, the other on research and continuous improvement of our Competency-Based Theological Education (CBTE) model.
Building the Team
Our first priority was getting the right people in place. We're delighted to welcome Krista Penner as Director of Network Leadership Development. Krista brings 17+ years of experience in church leadership development and was one of the original builders of the CBTE partnership between Northwest and Fellowship Pacific. She now serves as the primary point of contact for our church network partners, helping each region develop their own champions for pastoral leadership development, and has already met with every partner to get the work underway.
A Promising Early Win
One of the most encouraging moments came when President Barton Priebe spoke at the Baptist General Conference National Convention in Saskatoon, introducing CBTE to an audience of pastors and church leaders for the very first time. The response was immediate and enthusiastic. What resonated most were the things that make CBTE distinctive: learners don't have to leave their church or community to pursue their degree, formation happens on the job within mentoring relationships, and the training is holistic rather than purely academic. It's a timely reminder that CBTE meets people where they are, opening doors for new leaders who may never have considered formal pastoral training.
Research Underway
We've launched a project with the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN) to develop a competency framework for 21st-century pastors. Drawing on existing frameworks from schools and denominations across North America, alumni feedback on ministry readiness at graduation, and pastoral interviews, this resource will be validated through focus groups and practitioner surveys, ready to share by end of 2026. The result will be an open-source resource to serve as a launching pad for schools new to CBTE, but any school can use to evaluate and refresh its pastoral curriculum.
It's an exciting season, and we're grateful for your partnership in making it possible.
Ruth McGillivray
Executive Vice President
PROPEL Project Director