Meet Luis. Luis is a youth pastor at his home church in San Diego, where he grew up since he was a child. He shows me a picture of him as a toddler at the site where the church broke ground some decades ago. Luis went to Bible college and has been serving in the youth ministry at his church but sensed a call to further his education. However, his wife was in the midst of her doctoral program at the time, so he decided the timing was not quite fitting. After a few years, however, a new opportunity came about to join the inaugural cohort of Talbot Embedded in San Diego. Luis could stay in his current ministry role and still pursue seminary education. There was no question about enrolling in the program. But what Luis was surprised by was the cohort experience. Now entering his third semester in the M.A. in Christian Leadership and Ministry program with the same students, Luis feels like he is not only learning a lot, but learning a lot as part of a dedicated community. This cohort has fostered lifelong friendships that provide him with a trusted community in his city for mutual encouragement, support, and accountability in ministry.

Meet Melissa. Melissa is a mom of three young children, wife of a pastor, and works full-time in a Christian nonprofit. She had been interested in seminary and vocational ministry for a while but didn’t consider it to be possible due to her life situation. There was no way seminary could fit into her already busy schedule and responsibilities. But then she discovered Talbot Embedded while searching the Talbot website. She wouldn’t have to move or commute — precious hours per week that would take time away from her family — but still experience in-person learning and community for future ministry preparation. What she realized upon starting the program was that the cohort would provide that relational component and community of learning that traditional online programs may lack. Now in her third semester in the M.A. in Christian Leadership and Ministry program, she has already developed close relationships with her classmates and looks forward to growing intellectually and spiritually with her Talbot San Diego cohort.

I have been a part of the Talbot Embedded launch team for the past eight months and recently had a chance to teach a summer course with the San Diego cohort. We began with six weeks of online Zoom classes on Thursday evenings and then gathered mid-semester for the intensive weekend in San Diego, twelve hours in three days of discussion on the New Testament. As I set up in the classroom of the host church, Bayview Baptist, and students started trickling in, I suddenly realized that this was a life-changing program for them. They greeted each other with hugs, as if they had known each other for a long time. This was not just a cohort; it was a band of brothers and sisters who would learn together and support each other for the rest of their lives and ministry careers.

There are prospective students all over the country who dream of going to seminary and learning how to interpret the Bible, think biblically and theologically, hone their preaching skills and be prepared for the challenges and joys of ministry. But because of life situations, work, family and other commitments, seminary remains a mere dream. Online programs are available, but they can be isolating for students who thrive in learning within a community. This is where Talbot Embedded enters the discussion, to provide a solution for prospective students who are unable to relocate, so that they can receive seminary education through Talbot’s hybrid, modular and cohort model.

If you or someone you know is sensing a call to seminary education and lives in the following cities — Seattle, San Diego, Las Vegas, Honolulu, Nashville, Orlando, Boise, Portland, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, New York, San Francisco/Bay Area, Raleigh/Durham or Buffalo — or is interested in starting a cohort in your city, Talbot Embedded may be the perfect program. The first step is to go to the Talbot Embedded website, look through the information there, and then fill out the interest form. One of our Talbot representatives will respond within 24–48 hours to guide you through the next steps.