Life Pacific University’s School of Theology and Ministry is proud to announce the successful completion of the inaugural McPherson Preaching Institute Mentorship Program. This unique, six-week initiative paired five STM students with seasoned senior pastors from across Southern California, offering a transformational experience in preaching, mentorship, and local church leadership.
Participating pastor and MPI Director, Tim Lee, shares “The pulpit should be used as a space for making disciples; both by sound preaching and in giving space for developing preachers. Partnering my own church with MPI to mentor would-be preachers into experienced ones is a great joy! Our congregation was blessed by the sermon they heard, and by the chance to cheer on a young lady taking a significant step in our development”.
The participating students—Calvin Welch, Judah Kuhl, Salma Kettner, Abby Hartt, and Asher Saltzman—were selected for their passion for preaching and commitment to vocational ministry. Each student was matched with a local senior pastor who provided one-on-one mentoring focused on sermon preparation, biblical exposition, and pastoral presence.
The pastoral mentors for this first round included respected leaders: Pastor Tim Lee, Pastor Jen Lord, Pastor Kurt Fuller, Pastor Ashton Fish, and Pastor Tim Mossholder. Over the six weeks, these pastors met regularly with their mentees, guiding them through the process of developing and delivering a biblically grounded and culturally relevant sermon.
The program culminated in a powerful moment of ministry as each student was invited to preach during a Sunday service at their mentor’s church. These opportunities allowed students not only to exercise their preaching gifts but also to engage directly with congregations and receive valuable feedback from both mentors and church members.
The McPherson Preaching Institute Mentorship Program was launched as part of STM’s ongoing efforts to elevate the next generation of preachers and communicators in the Foursquare Church and beyond. Plans are already in motion for future cohorts, with increased opportunities for student participation and expanded partnerships with local churches.
Jeff Tolle, Leader of the McPherson Preaching Institute, excitedly shares “Many people have written off the younger generation, believing them to be too far behind and inexperienced to be given big opportunities. At MPI, we believe the opposite. When we partner college students with experienced mentors, while giving these students an opportunity to exercise their call and gifting to preach, amazing things can happen. Since we’ve started, we have been able to develop and platform some amazing young people. This is only the beginning!”
As LPU continues to invest in the calling and development of future church leaders, the PREACH Mentorship Cohort will serve as a model for bridging classroom learning with pastoral mentorship if you’re interested in being a preaching mentor, then let us know by filling out this form!
For more information about the McPherson Preaching Institute and its initiatives, visit www.lifepacific.edu/mpi.
