Winebrenner Seminary exists to equip leaders for service in God’s kingdom – it is a common to hear that refrain from those connected to Winebrenner. Central to this mission is how we engage and serve the needs of our students and learners. It’s valuable to pause and consider these needs through the eyes of the students themselves. You can read some previous posts on InDepth related to this idea:
Back to School 2022: Student Story (Joshua Thilmony)
To Uproot and Tear Down…To Build and to Plant: Value Propositions
Strategic Recap, Part 5: From “Pursuing a degree” to personal growth and discipleship
Problems and Needs in the Life of a Winebrenner Student
As revealed through student feedback and strategic reflection, Winebrenner has identified several key challenges that students face and are embraced as challenges that the seminary seeks to address:
- Lack of Ministry Knowledge
Many students come to Winebrenner recognizing gaps in their understanding of pastoral ministry, theology, or biblical interpretation, which directly impacts their effectiveness in ministry settings. - Uncertainty About Calling
Students often experience confusion or lack of clarity about their vocational direction or calling. Winebrenner helps them discern and define their purpose in ministry and life. - Missing Professional Prerequisites
Some students need specific training, certifications, or academic credentials to qualify for certain ministry roles or professional advancement, which they lack upon arrival. - Need for a Degree
While not all students prioritize earning a degree, many still require formal academic recognition to meet denominational, institutional, or employment requirements. - Spiritual Formation Needs
Students frequently seek deeper personal and spiritual development. Winebrenner provides structured opportunities to foster this growth.
Shifting to Center the Learner
In order to place the needs of learners and students in the center of our work, we need to consider where some of the gaps exist, including:
- Educational Mismatch: Increasingly, students are not seeking traditional degree paths but are instead looking for focused, practical training tailored to specific needs in their personal or ministry contexts.
- Time and Accessibility Constraints: Many students are actively involved in ministry or work and require flexible, accessible learning formats. This creates demand for part-time, online, and “just-in-time” educational models.
- Disconnected Systems in Theological Education: Traditional seminary structures can be siloed and slow to respond. Winebrenner’s efforts in systems, design, lean, and platform thinking aim to overcome this by integrating student feedback, encouraging experimentation, and enabling scalable collaboration.
Winebrenner students often face include a lack of clarity, training, credentials, spiritual depth, and practical ministry knowledge, which are all amplified by a need for accessible and relevant learning options that fit their real-world contexts.
We continue to be attentive to the needs of students as we move into the future!
- Brent C. Sleasman, President