2026 Impact Report

CENTER FOR PASTOR THEOLOGIANS
Forming pastor theologians to shepherd the church in our complex world.

 

New
Initiatives:

Senior Pastor Theologian Fellowship
59 of our most-experienced Pastor Theologians are now positioned in a new fellowship for collaboration and leadership of the broader Pastor Theologian movement.

St Irenaeus Fellowship
25 NEW Pastor Theologians have been added to our network and are being equipped for a lifetime of ministry in our six-year curriculum for pastoral formation and development.

Kingdom Scholars Network
CPT assisted in the launch of a new peer organization inspired by the CPT, seeking to raise up and equip Pastor Theologians in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Fiscal Year 2026 in
NUMBERS:

4 Theology Cohorts
Year-long learning cohorts on preaching, apologetics, the arts, and ecclesial identity

30 Podcast Episodes
Our most listened-to episode in 2026 was “A PhD in Preaching” with Todd Still of Truett Theological Seminary.

  • 864 total Pastor Theologians served

  • 118 in Fellows Program

  • 210 in Local Theologian Cohorts

  • 122 in Student Theologian Cohorts

  • 55 in One-Year Cohorts

  • 35 in Dinner and Discussion Events


From the President:

When I ask CPT Fellows to describe their churches, the phrase I hear over and over is “consistent, steady growth.”

These Pastor Theologians are biblically based and thoughtful. They apply God’s word practically and thoughtfully to the everyday issues of life. The churches they shepherd are growing, not because they entertain, but because they equip people to live faithfully to Christ in a complex world.

We invite you to join this movement through your prayers and financial support for renewing the church.

-Joel Lawrence


The world mass-produces and wholesales knowledge, but forming pastors who can
lead faithfully in troubled times requires an artisan’s approach to cultivating wisdom—
much like drawing out pure salt. This costly but transformative path of discipleship is
what CPT is committed to in an insipid world.
— Ahmi Lee Author, Speaker, and Consultant to Churches and Ministries

Faculty Books

19 books written by 19 Fellows this year


The renewal of deep, thoughtful Christianity in our time will not be the work of individuals, individual pastors, or individual churches. It will arise out
of long term, shared theological reflection among pastors who are passionate about day-to-day ministry in Christ’s church. The Center for Pastor Theologians exists to nurture this sort of fellowship and thus bids fair to play a central part in Christian mission today.
— Mark Talbot Associate Professor of Philosophy Emeritus, Wheaton College

Looking AHEAD:

Annual Conference
Finding Church: Ecclesial Identity in a Time of Cultural Crises

New Fellowships
Piloting Regional Fellowships to reach even more pastors with our flagship program

New One-Year Cohort Programs
On Work + Rest and the Nature of the Church in Pastoral Ministry