The River Conference of the Free Methodist Church
Find a Church
The River Institute

The River Institute

 Registration  Opens August 2025

The River Conference has partnered with Asbury Theological Seminary to provide a platform for The River Free Methodist Institute. The program offered in an online format spanning 10 months. Each institute contains five modules, and Asbury Seminary will grant a non-degree certificate for completion.

Fall 2025 Cohort Begins

September 2025

Register Is Closed

The River Conference has scholarships available for members of The River Conference. 

If you are not part of The River Conference, your local Conference may have scholarships available. TRC would encourage you to reach out to them.
Scholarship Application is Closed

Courses

+ FM History and Polity

+ Wesleyan Theology

+ Church Administration

+ Homiletics and Hermeneutics

+ Pastoral Counseling and Self-Care

Cost

$1000 for the cohort
There are scholarships available for TRC church leaders

 

Registration

August 2025

About The River Institute

There are many different offerings for leadership development within TRC. Due to the tremendous geographic and language challenges, courses can be redundant or inaccessible. The River Institute is a means for organizing all of the coursework, training, and coaching into a single vehicle.

The River Institute organizes the educational offerings so that the essential courses for ordination, are offered regularly in multiple languages using online, hybrid, and face-to-face coursework.  Instead of each region trying to find someone to teach History and Polity, the River Institute developed a schedule that is posted online.  With the use of technology, we offer courses by the best and brightest all over the conference and  denomination.  Additionally, for those with language limitations, it is almost impossible to find someone teaching courses in their native language.

The River Conference has partnered with Asbury Theological Seminary to provide a platform for the River Institute. This partnership delivers the theological training. In general, each Institute contains five Modules, and ​Asbury Seminary will grant a non-degree certificate for completion:

    1. FM History and Polity
    2. Wesleyan Theology
    3. Church Administration
    4. Homiletics and Hermeneutics
    5. Pastoral Counseling and Self-Care

MISSION

Educate Leaders through conference, resource materials, and coaching; Equip Leaders through specific trainings including church planting training; Empower Leaders who desire ordination in the Free Methodist Church through providing essential courses, ministry assessments, and coaching.

VISION

To be an organization devoted to equipping the leaders of TRC through educational offerings, training opportunities, and ordination coursework to the Glory of God.

Read More at Asbury Institutes

Expected Learning Outcomes

Wholeness is pursued, not a truncated understanding of the gospel, and that the five core freedoms of Free Methodism are grasped.

The freedom of:

      • all races to worship together in unity.
      • women and men to be treated with equal respect regarding the use of their gifts equally in the church, in the home, and in the world.
      • the poor to be treated with dignity in the church, and with justice in the world.
      • the laity and clergy to be given equal authority and decision-making positions within the church.
      • the Holy Spirit to inspire our worship.

Cost

There is a nominal cost to participate in the River Institute of $1000 to complete the courses listed above.

Questions

Please direct any questions you may have to Pastor Kasey Martin: 

Rev. Kasey Martin

River Institute Director
Contact Rev. Kasey