Foundation Studies

Usually, the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa NZ (PCANZ) requires those preparing for ministry training to have completed part or all of another tertiary or vocation award before commencing theological study (e.g. practical trades, hospitality, IT, education, business, agriculture, or it may be part of a general arts degree). This requirement is fairly general and may be modified having regard to your life-experience and background in church leadership.

As you test your sense of call from God to serve as a NOM, the PCANZ has a number of ways to discern, with you, what God is saying to you and the church.

The two main assessments for those applying for national ordained ministry take place firstly at presbytery level and then, if your sense of call is affirmed there, at national assessment. You can only proceed towards the internship programme if your sense of call has been affirmed at both presbytery and national level.

One of the major requirements to fulfil is to complete a recognised theological qualification; this is usually a 3-year bachelor’s degree in theological studies. The PCANZ refers to this phase of your preparation for NOM as your “Foundation Studies.”

This is important: engage with your foundation studies deeply, carefully and thoroughly.

You will find your foundation studies delightful and demanding. Be inspired by Jacob (Genesis 32) and as you wrestle with your studies, grasp onto them and declare to God, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me!”

Your foundation studies are a crucial time to prepare you for the 22-month NOM internship programme at the Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership (KCML).  The internship is a time when we draw on your foundation studies and submit to the good work Christ has begun in you (Philippians 1:6). KCML will explore, develop and extend your studies for ministry formation. The term the PCANZ uses to describe this is: readiness for ministry.

Building on your foundation studies, KCML will facilitate your readiness for ministry progress by focusing on:

  • Personal Maturity
  • Leading Worship and Theological Attentiveness
  • Cultivating Communal and Pastoral Formation
  • Enabling Mission Practice

Click here for Foundation Studies requirements

Financial support

If you are a Foundation Studies student, there may be some financial support available from the Church before the commencement of the internship studies programme, depending on the level of Trust Funds available. However, this is not guaranteed. For further information, please contact the Registrar.