‘Championing His church’: LTS faculty serve Virginia churches through Seminary for a Day program

Three faculty members from Liberty University Theological Seminary are providing church staff with encouragement and practical teaching through the Seminary for a Day initiative, a partnership with the Southern Baptist Convention of Virginia.

Hosted multiple times throughout the state, Seminary for a Day offers theological training to members of local churches by bringing in subject experts to lead single-day sessions lasting around four hours.

Although the SBCV has hosted these events in the past, 2024 marked Liberty’s first involvement with the program.

“It’s a really big deal because we get to help fulfill our mission, which is to come alongside the local church in its quest to fulfill the Great Commission,” said LTS Associate Dean Dr. Adam McClendon, who led sessions on biblical leadership last September in Bristol, Va., and April 2024 in Roanoke, Va. “It’s a really cool opportunity.”The event is free and is typically open to 20-40 participants. Attendees get a glimpse of the education they could receive through seminary and some practical wisdom to help them in their current ministry work.

“Something very unique about this is that they’re not there for credit or for a grade,” said Dr. Chris Dowd, director of Liberty’s Center for Church Advancement, who led a Seminary for a Day session in Roanoke in the spring. “They’re there because they want to have continuing education to be lifelong learners, to continue to sharpen the blade for the work that God called them to. It’s humbling to be in a room where they’ve gathered because they want to continue to grow and learn. And it’s exciting to be part of it.”

Although participants may not gain any formal certification, they leave better equipped to address issues that may arise in their daily ministry and can connect with Liberty faculty members to learn more about LTS.

Associate Professor Dr. Josh Waltman presented in Bristol last March on the role of apologetics in effective discipleship. Noting that apologetics is often mistakenly seen as an “ivory tower” discipline only valuable in academia or evangelism, he said the topic can also help any Christian struggling with doubt and faith-related issues.

He said Seminary for a Day provides the chance for ministry leaders to find encouragement and fellowship in what may sometimes feel like a lonely and taxing profession.

“I’m facilitating, but there are 30 pastors in a room who can help one another,” Waltman said. “The encouragement that comes with that is incredible because I think sometimes folks who are pastoring just feel alone. They feel separate and disconnected from one another because they’re shouldering the burden of their people. Getting those folks in a room and encouraging them on this topic is a big part of what energizes me to do it.”

Central to the Seminary for a Day initiative is an emphasis on service and compassion toward those who have dedicated their lives to proclaiming the Great Commission, a mission shared by Liberty’s executive leadership, faculty, and staff.

“We’ve been given a wealth of resources, and with that comes a great responsibility to steward that well,” McClendon said. “When you travel to these other places, you find there are well-intended people who don’t have access to the same types of things we do. To be able to go encourage them in this way and be an extension not only harmonizes with our mission, but it also helps us train as we’re going and connecting with the church at large in other areas.”

“The church is still God’s plan A,” Dowd added. “It’s good for us to remember that. And I think it’s good here that our seminary is positioned in such a way to champion that. Champions for Christ should champion His church. To be able to do that is a blessing.”

Those interested in attending a Seminary for a Day event can visit the SBCV’s website for more information. On Sept. 23, McClendon will lead a session on three-dimensional leadership at Coastal Church in Yorktown, Va.