Training Churches

The Trust is now focusing increasingly on the development of training churches. The establishment of a network of strong training churches across the country is critical to creating a pipeline of gospel workers.

It is encouraging to see the number of training churches growing. There are a number of key factors: an increasing awareness of the importance of training gospel workers; churches taking the responsibility for training; and people trained with the support of the Trust now in leadership, developing strong training programmes of their own.

With the support of the Trust, new training churches are emerging each year. The Trust now has links with around 70 training churches.

Importantly, there is a healthy spread of training churches geographically in cities, towns and rural areas. The spread is also reflected in the different grouping and constituencies the Trust is working with, e.g. the Free Church of Scotland, FIEC, Didasko, and 20 Schemes. One of the most encouraging developments is seeing some of the larger, well-resourced training churches training people to be deployed in different constituencies. For example, many individuals who are now in Free Church ministry began their training in Chalmers Church, an independent church in Edinburgh, before going on to their formal Free Church training.

In the 2024/25 year, we were delighted to be able to make a couple of small grants to churches serving deprived communities to enable them to meet their employment costs for trainees, which otherwise would not have been possible. Depending on outside funding, we hope to renew and extend this programme for 2025/6 and beyond. If so, we will issue an update online with details.

People funded by the trust through their training, now training others

  • ANDY ROBERTSON

    Church Planter | Charleston Community Church

    Andy was supported by the Bonar Trust while training at Chalmers Church Edinburgh as an Apprentice (with Cornhill) and then Leader in Training, also at Chalmers (with Edinburgh Theological Seminary (ETS)).

    Andy is now a church planter in Charleston, Dundee, with the Free Church of Scotland and 20schemes. From 2017-2021 Andy was training Craig Anderson as a Leader in Training, supported by the Bonar Trust. An Apprenticeship Programme is being developed which the Trust hopes to fund. Craig is now leading a new church in Galashiels.

  • ALI SEWELL

    Minister | Haddington Community Church

    Ali was supported by the Bonar Trust as a Ministry Apprentice at Chalmers Church (including Cornhill), then as a Leader in Training at Christ Church Edinburgh while studying at ETS. After this he completed a final year of training at Cornerstone Edinburgh with a focus on church planting. Ali planted Haddington Community Church, Free Church of Scotland congregation, in 2018.

    In 2020 Haddington took Angus MacLeod as a Leader in Training, being involved in the life and leadership of the church with a particular focus on developing his preaching gift and seeing growth in that area. After the completion of his studies Angus was licensed within the Free Church and has now gone on to fulfil a ministry role elsewhere. In 2023

    James Burnett took over the Leader in Training role which he will complete at Haddington.

  • GRAEME SHANKS

    Pastor | Bruntsfield Evangelical Church

    A lawyer before training for ministry, Graeme was supported by the Bonar Trust while training at Bruntsfield Evangelical Church, Edinburgh as an Apprentice (with Cornhill) and then Leader in Training (with ETS). Graeme is now Pastor of Bruntsfield. The church has established Apprenticeship and Leader in Training programmes. One graduate is Alistair Chalmers who now leads Ferniehill Evangelical Church. Their current Leader in Training finished in 2024 and will lead a church revitalisation in Peebles.

  • MARTIN SMITH

    Pastor | Hawick Baptist Church

    Martin trained at Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh as an Apprentice (with Cornhill) and then Leader in Training (with ETS), funded by the Bonar Trust. A key event in Martin’s call to ministry was a Bonar Trust presentation on Apprenticeship Programmes.

    Martin is now Pastor of Hawick Baptist Church in the Scottish Borders. The Borders Railway has brought new life and investment to the region, but there are currently very few gospel churches. Martin’s vision for establishing a network of training and planting churches across the region is inspiring. An Apprenticeship Programme at Hawick began in September 2019, supported by the Trust. The next step is a Leader in Training programme.

  • RACHEL SLOAN

    Women’s Ministry Coordinator | Charlotte Chapel

    Rachel is the Women’s Ministry Coordinator at Charlotte Chapel, Edinburgh, and also works part-time as the Women’s Ministry Coordinator for the FIEC.

    She also studied at ETS until 2021. Rachel was supported by the Bonar Trust while she trained as an Apprentice at Chalmers Church Edinburgh (with Cornhill). Before ministry, Rachel was a primary school teacher.

    Rachel is a leader in developing women’s ministry in Scotland through initiatives including the Scottish Women’s Bible Convention and an annual conference for women in ministry. Rachel is a Trustee of the Bonar Trust.

  • SAM ORR

    Minster | Redeemer Church Edinburgh

    Sam is the Minister of Redeemer Church Edinburgh, a plant from Chalmers with a specific focus from the start on training and planting. Redeemer is an independent church, but supported by the Free Church of Scotland Generation Church Planting network, an example of the kind of ‘new’ gospel partnership that will accelerate gospel vision and strategy.

    Redeemer previously trained Iain Morrison as a Leader in Training supported by the Bonar Trust, and is now training Will Sanders. Sam was previously an Apprentice at Highfields, Cardiff and then Leader in Training at Chalmers Edinburgh while studying by distance learning at Highland Theological College. He was supported by the Trust as a Leader in Training. Between his Apprentice and Leader in Training roles, Sam was a UCCF Staff Worker in Edinburgh for four years, then Scottish team leader for a year.

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