The Institute for Church Leadership (ICL) offers a series of courses in Bible, theology, spiritual formation, the mission of the Kingdom, church history and more. See our scope and sequence below. Anyone can benefit from these opportunities for spiritual enrichment and leadership development. You need not be a part of a local EC Church. The EC Church is pleased to offer ICL classes as a resource for building the Kingdom of God.
These non-credit courses are open to all, without any educational prerequisites. They are not seminary level courses and do not earn credit from any seminary. The courses comprise the required training for those seeking the Local Elder’s License or Lay Preacher’s Certification in the Evangelical Congregational Church and may be applicable to pastoral credentials for other denominations as well.
| Term | Formative Course | Informative Course |
| Fall 1 | Intro to Ministry | Hermeneutics |
| Spring 1 | Pastoral Leadership | OT Survey |
| Fall 2 | Personal Spiritual Formation | NT Survey |
| Spring 2 | Preaching | Theology 1 |
| Fall 3 | Healthy Worship & Ministry | Theology 2 |
| Spring 3 | Developing a Contextual Missional Mindset | Church History |
For all students and auditors: ICL courses no longer require a subscription but will be on a “pay as you learn” system. ICL students and auditors will pay a one-time fee per class of $250 and $50, respectively. If you are taking a course as part of your training towards credentialing, you must register as a student.
You are not required to Login to register and pay for an ICL course.
For more information about the ICL or for instructions about auditing classes, please complete our contact form.
Upcoming Spring 2025 Classes:
The History of Evangelicalism: Tuesdays, February 11 – March 11 from 6:30 to 9:30 PM
Instructors: Rev. Adam Roberts
In the ICL course, “The History of Evangelicalism,” we will chart the course of evangelicalism as we know it, beginning with the Reformation and concluding with the 21st century. We will also look at the individuals, events and organizations that shaped the movement as well as the historical and theological developments that shape who we are today.
Developing a Contextual Missional Mindset: Tuesdays, March 25 – May 6
Facilitator: Rev. Tanner Cosgrave along with additional instructors
In the ICL course, “Developing a Contextual Missional Mindset,” a team of instructors will guide learners toward what it looks like to make disciples in our changing world. Disciple-making processes, evangelism tools and technology will be prominent features of this practical course.
Instructor / Facilitator Bios
Rev. Adam Roberts has served Evangelical Congregational churches for the last 20 years, and he is currently the Director of the EC Church’s Institute for Church Leadership. A lifelong student of history of all varieties, he also teaches the ICL course on the History of the Evangelical Congregational Church. Adam is a graduate of Lancaster Bible College and Evangelical Theological Seminary. He and his wife Michelle are the parents of four children. In addition to history, Adam enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, playing the piano, skiing and all things Disney.
Rev. Tanner Cosgrave is the pastor at California EC Church in Morgantown, PA, where he began serving in September of 2022. He is a graduate of Penn State University and is currently pursuing his MDiv through Kairos University. He is passionate about making disciples who make disciples and lives by the motto, “Be with Jesus, Become like Jesus, Do what Jesus did.” He enjoys dad jokes, board games, hiking, thrift shopping and spending time with his wife, Natalie, and their son, Bowen.