Sharing a passion for theology and ministry

The CPT hosts gatherings of local pastors who meet quarterly to discuss the vision of the pastor theologian, and especially its implications for their specific ministries and communities. Facilitated by our CPT fellows, these groups have no formal education requirement, but rather call for a passionate commitment to thinking theologically, reading reflectively, and building inter-denominational relationships that serve to mutually encourage each pastor in his or her ministry setting.

We currently have cohorts meeting in over twenty locations across the United States. If you have received an invitation to join one of these cohorts, please click the button below to register and receive your materials.

Register for your 2025/26 Cohort Now

If you have already received an email invitation from your cohort mentor to register, you can do so by clicking the appropriate link below:

Legacy Cohorts

  • Colorado (Denver)
    Ryan Tafilowski

  • Hawaii (Oahu)
    Chris Bruno

  • Illinois (Naperville Area)
    Chris Castaldo

  • Illinois (Oak Park Area)
    Gerald Hiestand

  • Massachusetts (Central)
    Ryan Fields

  • Michigan (Grand Rapids Area)
    Jim Samra

  • Minnesota (Minneapolis-St. Paul)
    Joel Lawrence

  • Missouri (Kansas City Area)
    Nathan Chang

  • Ohio (Cleveland Area)
    Austin Shaw & Cory Wilson

  • Ohio (Columbus Area)
    Steve Turnbull

  • Oregon (Eugene Area)
    Aaron Friesen

  • Tennessee (Chattanooga Area)
    Joey Sherrard

  • Texas (Tyler Area)
    Cole Hartin

  • Wisconsin (Milwaukee Area)
    Chris Ganski

Newly Launching Cohorts

  • Arizona (Phoenix Area)
    Caleb Campbell

  • District of Columbia
    Danny Houck

  • Florida (Dunedin Area)
    David Hunsicker

  • Idaho (Boise Area)
    Josh Stone

  • Indiana (Indianapolis Area)
    Chalres Anderson

  • New York (Avon Area)
    Ben Espinoza

  • North Carolina (Raleigh-Durham)*

  • Ohio (Ashland Area)
    Austin Shaw

  • Texas (DFW Area)*

  • Virginia (Fishersville Area)
    Andrew Williams

*Pending mentor confirmation

Interested in Starting or Joining a Group?

For those seeking a new Local Theologian Cohorts in his or her area, or for those interested in joining an existing group, please complete the interest form, below. For general questions regarding Local Theologian Cohorts, please contact Zachary Wagner.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Any pastor is welcome to join a local cohort if invited by a mentor.

  • Yes. Cohort members must pay an annual fee of $99 to confirm their enrollment.

    These funds help cover the cost of food and materials for the quarterly meetings.

  • The CPT is an inter-denominational organization, and we see a unique value in convening pastors and ministry leaders from various denominations. Dozens of Protestant denominations are represented across our fellowships and cohorts.

  • No. The CPT exists within the ecclesial stream of what we call “Great Tradition Evangelicalism.” Together we hold to creedal orthodoxy (e.g. Nicene Trinitarianism, Chalcedonian Christology) and Protestant distinctives (e.g. sola scriptura, justification by faith alone),. However, our groups allow for all manner of disagreement on secondary and tertiary theological issues such as the mode of baptism, church polity, and women’s ordination.

    You can read more about our theological identity on our Who We Are page.

  • Yes. Membership is open to female pastors and ministers.

    Our cohorts include pastors from both complementarian and egalitarian traditions. Cohort members are expected to respect one another’s differences of opinion on such issues and view the cohort as a collegial and interdenominational space that spans theological differences on women’s ordination.

  • Our cohorts assume pastors are engaging from a Protestant evangelical perspective. However, interested pastors from other traditions (e.g. Orthodox, Roman Catholic) may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

  • No. Cohort membership is open to any pastor regardless of their highest level of education.

  • Not necessarily! Interested pastors can inquire about space in their local group by filling out the cohort interest form above on this page or by contacting Director of Programs, Zachary Wagner.

  • No. Associate and assistant pastors are welcome to participate, assuming their membership is supported by their supervisor, elder board, etc.

  • The CPT hosts a free-to-join Slack Workspace for fellowships and cohorts. If you are interested in setting a group up for cohort, please contact jburgos@pastortheologians.com.

  • Cohort members are strongly encouraged to attend the annual Pastor Theologians Conference in Oak Park, IL, whether as an individual or with other members of their group.

    This is a great opportunity to connect with and learn from others in the wider CPT community. As such, the CPT offers a discounted rate of $99 to cohort members to attend the conference each fall.

  • Potentially! If you would like to inquire about starting a group in your region, please contact Zachary Wagner.

  • The strong majority of our cohorts are led by a mentor from our Fellows Program at the CPT.

    We do explore possibilities for other well-qualified pastors to lead a cohort if they are interested. To inquire about this possibility, please email Director of Programs, Zachary Wagner.

  • Please direct any further questions about the program to Director of Programs, Zachary Wagner.