Journey: International applicants
Journey is for participants from all over the world!
We welcome pastors, lay leaders and church planters from any church affiliated with Mennonite World Conference. If this is you, learn more by reading through the questions and answers below.
Cultivate your spiritual formation. Nurture your leadership abilities. Deepen your theological perspectives.
Throughout the two-and-a-half year international Journey program, you will find a rhythm of group and individual learning that includes a combination of online classes, bi-weekly meetings with a pastoral mentor in person or online and viewing and responding to video sessions. Your congregation or community ministry setting will be an important place to try new ideas, test new skills and deepen the self-understanding you will gain.
Through Journey, you’ll name and develop strengths in six Transformation Areas:
- Spiritual disciplines, especially prayer and inner work
- Bible study and theology from an Anabaptist perspective
- Personal character, including courage, consistency, love and self-discipline
- Mentoring and community, as you mentor others and are mentored yourself
- Recognizing spiritual gifts in yourself and your congregation
- Leadership skills, including preaching, worship, conflict transformation, time management and more
Table of contents
Financial assistance now available
Financial assistance is available and takes into account the applicant’s country of citizenship and resources on hand. For more information, see the “Costs” section below.
The Journey curriculum
The Journey curriculum consists of a combination of online classes, regular meetings with a pastoral mentor and video teachings and written reflections on them.
Online classes
Five online classes introduce the following themes:
- Unit 1: The Biblical Story
- Unit 2: The Mission of God and the Witness of the Church
- Unit 3: Anabaptism: Foundations and Future—A Way of Being Church
- Unit 4: Leadership: The Ministry of Reconciliation
- Unit 5: Announcement and Celebration: Proclamation and Worship that Participate in the Mission of God
Pastoral mentors
As a student in the international Journey program, you will be matched with a pastoral mentor who is recommended by a bishop or other suitable official.
Your mentor-mentee pair is expected to meet every two weeks for one-to-two hours, in person or online. In addition, your mentor commit to regularly reading your learning journal and to viewing several teaching videos each year.
Qualified mentors typically have experience as a pastor, church planter, missionary or have served in another relevant church role. Ideally, your mentor also has a seminary degree or has completed the Journey program. Journey mentors may have up to three mentees simultaneously. Mentors do not receive remuneration.
Video teachings and reflections
Twice each year, you and your mentor will receive links to three or four teaching videos by AMBS professors and other pastoral instructors. You are asked to view these videos together in your mentor-mentee pair and discuss them. You are required to submit brief reflection papers in response to your learning from the videos.
Ready to begin your application?
U.S. and Canadian applicants
Interested in studying from the U.S. or Canada? We welcome pastors, those exploring a call to ministry, church planters and other congregational lay leaders to visit the North American page.
Program requirements
In order to participate in Journey, you’ll need:
- To be a member of a congregation affiliated with Mennonite World Conference
- Fluency in English at the level of early university study
- Reliable high speed internet and ability to work online
- Adequate time to devote to participation in online classes, mentor meetings and viewing and responding to videos in a timely way
- A pastoral mentor recommended by your pastor, bishop or other suitable church official
- Availability to meet with your mentor in person or online every two weeks for one-to-two hours
Please email us at [email protected] if you have questions about these requirements or want to know more about finding a pastoral mentor.
How much time will this take?
- Plan to spend approximately 10 hours each week in online classes
- Each online class session lasts 20 weeks
- The total amount of time to complete the international Journey program is 2 ½ years
Journey follows a typical annual schedule:
- Early September: Video teaching
- Mid-September to mid-February: Online class
- February or Early March: Video teaching
- Mid-February to mid-July: Online class
Will I have to come to the United States to participate in Journey?
No. You can complete the entire Journey program in your home country, without ever coming to the United States.
Will I receive academic credit for completing Journey?
Once you’ve met all the requirements of the Journey program, you’ll receive a certificate of completion.
Because Journey isn’t a graduate-level program, your certificate won’t carry academic credit at AMBS. You can, however, apply for undergraduate-level credit at one of our educational partners. We currently partner with Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Requirements for receiving undergraduate-level academic credit include:
- Successfully completing the full Journey program, electing to receive letter grades and earning grades of B or higher
- Requesting documentation of satisfactory completion from AMBS
- Sending your Journey documentation to the EMU Registrar’s office, along with a recording fee of $300 USD
- You will be entered into the EMU student database and will receive 15 credit hours that can be used as elective or general credits toward an undergraduate degree at EMU!
More information
2023 important dates
Key dates for the Spring 2023 cohort:
- Dec. 7, 2022 – Early application deadline (save $100)
- Jan. 11, 2023 – Final application deadline
- Jan. 27 – Tuition deposit and Weekend Learning Event fees due
- Feb. 22 – Final tuition due
- Feb. 22 – Online classes begin
- March 10-12 – Weekend Learning Event at AMBS
- July 18 – Online classes end
Key dates for the Fall 2023 cohort:
- July 11 – Early application deadline (save $100)
- Aug. 8 – Final application deadline
- Aug. 18 – Tuition deposit and Weekend Learning Event fees due
- Sept. 8 – Final tuition due
- Sept. 8-10 – Weekend Learning Event
- Sept. 13 – Online classes begin
- Feb. 6, 2024 – Online classes end
2023 costs
Although online classes cost $700 USD each for North American students, substantial financial assistance is available for international Journey applicants which takes into account the applicant’s country of citizenship and resources on hand. Applicant’s country is understood according to the Mennonite World Conference category rate. Apply for financial assistance here.
Other costs
The fees listed above cover the cost of tuition. Any other costs you might incur, such as the cost of travel to meet with your pastoral mentor, are not covered. In addition, your pastoral mentor will not receive remuneration.
If you have questions, email us at [email protected].
Refund policy
- A non-refundable deposit of 50% of tuition is due upon acceptance.
- The remaining tuition payment is due prior to the start of the session (see dates above).
- No refunds will be granted after the first week of the online class.
If you have questions, email us at [email protected] or call 574-296-6269.
Ready to begin your application?
Important Journey online forms
- Journey application form
- Journey intent to continue and payment form
- Journey application for financial assistance
- Form for Journey pastoral mentor
- Journey reference request
