KReST Admissions
Working with the Local Church
As a “church-based ministerial academy,” KReST is committed to help pastors and churches train men who aspire after and show potential for the pastoral ministry, as well as laypeople, church leaders, and men whose aspirations to full-time ministry may still be tentative (Eph. 4:11- 12; 2 Tim. 2:2).
For this reason an applicant must be a member in good standing of an evangelical church whose pastor is supportive of his pursuit of theological training. If an applicant is already a pastor, it is assumed that the local church has already recognised the applicant’s gifts and graces and is supportive of his pursuit of more training.
KReST expects that the applicant will work together with his pastor and home church throughout the course of his training. Practically, this means that the applicant can humbly receive the initial and ongoing assessment of his pastor and church leaders regarding his qualifications if he is pursuing the pastoral ministry. The applicant will also work with a pastor to serve as his mentor-proctor to provide guidance and input on coursework, writing projects, preaching, and practical ministry. The mentor will also be responsible to proctor the student’s quizzes and exams. By working together with his pastor and home church, the applicant will not only be following the biblical pattern for ministerial training (Eph. 4:11-12; 2 Tim. 2:2), but will be more effectively commending himself to the church (1 Tim. 3:1-7; 4:15), the world (1 Tim. 3:7), the Lord (1 Pet. 5:5), and his own conscience (Acts 24:16; Heb. 13:18).
Application and Matriculation
KReST has a non-discriminatory admissions policy as to race, sex, or handicap for all programs not related to the pastoral office of the church. The school is convinced that the Bible prohibits women from teaching or exercising authority over men in the church. Therefore, only men will be admitted to the school in its main programme, which prepares students for the office of teaching elder or church planter (whether domestic or foreign, i.e., missionary).
Nevertheless, the Scriptures do encourage women to grow in their knowledge of biblical truth (Acts 2:41-42; 1 Tim. 2:11), and the New Testament provides examples of women receiving instruction from the Lord Jesus and from his apostles (Luke 10:38-42; John 4; Acts 2:41-42). Moreover, while the Bible prohibits women from teaching or exercising authority over men in the church, it does not prohibit them from sharing the faith (Luke 2:36-38; John 4:28-29, 39; Matt. 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-11; John 20:1-2; Heb. 5:12), instructing children or fellow women (Acts 16:1; 2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15; Titus 2:3-4), or even sharing biblical truth with men in a non-formal, auxiliary, and subordinate fashion (Acts 18:26). Accordingly, women as well as men may be admitted to the college in its block classes that are not specifically designed to train men for the office of teaching elder or church planter.
Admissions Requirements for Block Classes
Normally, only men or women who are eighteen years of age, who are members in good standing of an evangelical church, and who have the commendation of their church leaders shall be eligible to enrol into the Block Class programmes.
Admissions Requirements for Core Programme
A person may audit courses for his own personal edification and development if he or she does not wish to earn academic credit.
Only men who are at least twenty-one years of age, have successfully completed secondary school education with at least a “C” grade, are members in good standing in an evangelical church, and are recognised ministerial aspirants or already engaged in Christian ministry shall be eligible to enrol in the core programme. KReST reserves the right to waive any or all of these requirements if doing so is deemed appropriate. Each applicant will be considered and assessed on an individual basis.
Possible reasons for waiving these entrance requirements include the following:
1) The applicant is in a tertiary education institution and working towards getting qualification there.
2) The applicant has completed at least five years of full-time Christian ministry experience or has educational experience equivalent to 128 credit hours of undergraduate training.
3) The applicant’s current age, family needs, and/or vocational responsibilities make it difficult or impossible to obtain those entrance requirements though he has gained a lot through experience.
If you aspire to the ministry and desire admission into the school, you should schedule an interview with your pastor. If your pastor deems your aspirations to be legitimate and appropriate, then you may apply for admission to the school. By deeming your aspirations as legitimate and appropriate, your pastor is not necessarily declaring you to be fully qualified for the pastoral office. He is simply declaring that your aspirations do not appear to be misguided. If your aspirations to the ministry are tentative either in your own mind or the mind of your pastor, you may be allowed to enrol in the program for a probationary period to allow time for your aspirations, graces and gifts to be assessed. No man should be engaged in studies for the pastoral ministry when there are glaring immaturities in Christian grace or insurmountable deficiencies in ministerial gift. For this reason, KReST and your pastor reserve the right to withdraw their support of your theological training should either party determine there are significant deficiencies in Christian character or ministerial gift.
After receiving your application, the registrar will contact you and set up a time for an interview. After your interview, the registrar will contact your pastor to confirm his approval of your enrolment and his willingness to have a named pastor to serve as your mentor-proctor. The registrar will notify you when your application for enrolment is approved. Once your application is approved, you should immediately send the enrolment fee to the school. Your enrolment in the school will not officially go into effect until your enrolment fee is received.
Student Conduct
All students of Kisumu Reformed School of Theology are expected to conduct themselves at all times as mature Christians. The school reserves the right to turn down or to dismiss students whose conduct fails to conform to the ethical norms and principles set forth in Holy Scripture.
Minimum Course Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 60% of all course requirements each term for them to remain enrolled in the school for the next term. An extension may be granted at the discretion of the school faculty.