Prestonwood partnership provides assistance, opportunities to student interns

Over the years, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has had the opportunity to form partnerships with area churches and other entities as they work together to help students pursue God’s calling in their lives. One such partnership that has given students financial aid and opportunity to gain ministry experience is that between the seminary and Prestonwood Baptist Church.

For about 40 years, the Prestonwood Internship Program has provided those ministry opportunities to students, with Jonathan Teague (’04), the leader of the program for the past four years, saying they estimate that almost 500 individuals from around the country have gone through the program since the early 1980s.

“The development of the next generation of leaders is a huge passion for our pastor, Dr. [Jack] Graham,” Teague said. “So, we’ve had a real vibrant commitment to developing young leaders in ministry training for many, many years.”

Coming out of the Covid pandemic, Teague began to explore ways to revitalize the internship program, reconnecting with former partners and building new friendships with others. Southwestern was one of those partners that Teague, an alumnus himself and now an adjunct professor, sought to include. And after meeting with the leadership, Prestonwood and Southwestern reached a formal partnership in the summer of 2021.

Through this agreement, Southwestern students who are accepted into the internship program can earn up to 26 free master’s credit hours. It also includes a financial benefit to go toward other expenses such as textbooks.

“That’s where we really deepened our friendship with the seminary, and then just really our commitment to be hand in hand,” Teague said of the agreement, which he said is stronger than those they have with other entities because of the nearness of the seminary. “As the seminary develops students in the classroom, we’re developing them in the local church and blending that experience together. We’ve been really grateful for that partnership.”

Students are invited to participate in a summer internship for 10 weeks or a one-year internship, both paid positions that give the interns opportunities to serve at one of Prestonwood’s campuses in the field they feel called to, including areas such as children, youth, women, pastoring, counseling, music, discipleship, media, and even specific ministries such as church-planting, pregnancy center, Spanish, or sports ministries. Teague said some interns choose to stay on another year as an intern and some have transitioned into a position at the church.

“We’re looking to engage with young men and women who feel called to local church ministry and who are also pursuing continuing education in seminary environments,” Teague said, adding they leave time each week for students to participate in classes on campus or online, and then they help them gain experience by being involved in the ministries of the church. “… We’re immersing students into the day-to-day ministry experience of our church while they continue in that academic pursuit.”

Jonathan Teague, alumnus and staff member of Prestonwood, shares with Southwestern students about the internship program during a recent Coke Break on campus.

Foster Bridges, an MDiv student at Southwestern, was one of those students whose one-year internship, beginning in 2022, stretched into two years. And now he is on staff at Prestonwood as the minister of pastoral care.

While being enrolled in a seminary or theological institution is a requirement for these student internships, Bridges said the leadership is very good at helping the interns balance their work and school loads, checking on their progress.

Bridges said leaders would express to them, “‘We don’t want you to be struggling in anything. We want you to be fruitful in everything.’ So, they really want you to be thriving, whatever you’re doing.”

Bridges entered the program as a discipleship intern, but later changed when the pastoral internship became available. The immersive nature of the program gave him opportunities to teach and lead in various ways under his supervisors, while also having opportunities to experience other areas of pastoral care, such as hospital visits and how to prepare for weddings and funerals.

“It’s going to be very hands on in that environment, whatever it is,” Bridges said of the different areas available to student interns, adding that interns are exposed to numerous areas of ministry and not just the one they are specifically serving. “So, if you’re doing adult ministry, you’re going to be teaching that group, you’re going to be talking to leaders, you’re going to be raising up volunteers, you’re going to be organizing events, you’re going to be scheduling evangelism opportunities, so on and so forth. You’re going to be a part of it.”

Each week interns also attend a development class where they will hear from Prestonwood leaders or others in ministry. Teague said faculty of Southwestern regularly lead these classes as they assist in training the student interns even outside of the seminary classroom.

The goal of the Prestonwood’s internship is two-fold, Teague said. They first want the students to be enriched spiritually as they grow in the Lord in the context of serving a local church. Secondly, Teague said they want to help the students develop their skills for ministry. When those two things happen, Teague said the investment the church makes in the interns is worthwhile, as they put “our ministry money where our mouth is” to show that they truly are committed to the next generation of church leaders.

“The impact that Prestonwood has had in the DFW area and globally can’t be overstated,” said Chandler Snyder, Southwestern’s vice president for institutional relations. “And Southwestern is so incredibly grateful to have a partner in this work that’s in a position to advance the Kingdom while serving students.”

Snyder added, “The cultural alignment that exists between our institution and the Prestonwood community creates incredible opportunity for practical learning that starts in the classroom and matures in service at a local church body. So many of our students take advantage of this program, and we pray that more would be willing to put into active practice what they’re learning from our outstanding faculty. And Prestonwood creates a unique and generous opportunity to do that.”

Teague said they often have 20-25 interns on the year-long track and expect about 30 in the summer internship. Information on requirements, expectations, and applications for the internship program can be found here.