Metaverse: The Future of Ministry Training
Share in the future of church leadership development through digital-first training
The Need
The church is experiencing a chronic leader-supply problem.
In its current form, the theological education system is a major bottleneck for raising leaders. Education remains highly resource-intensive, expensive and unproductive in comparison with other sectors. Teachers cannot simply teach more students than they did decades ago; residential campus overheads have only grown.
Attempts have been made to address this problem through remote and online learning. But, as we all learned during the pandemic, while current technology can improve access, it cannot equal in-person presence.
The Opportunity
We stand at a unique moment of opportunity for the growth of the global church with the next iteration of the internet (Web3).
The Metaverse can close the gap between these alternatives, improving accessibility and quality while reducing the “distance” that current online technology enforces on learning. This means we can simultaneously improve both geographical and financial access to theological education, and the relational quality of that education. This provides a game-changing solution for training church leaders worldwide.
The Vision
Our vision is to blaze a trail for digital-first theological education to better serve the global church.
This project will build on Union’s proven and successful training model—delivered through our highly effective network of Learning Communities. It will complement our existing approach to enhance and propel the School of Theology forward to become truly digital-first.
In the Metaverse, Learning Communities will be enhanced by connecting all our students on a virtual campus. In addition, the creation of individual virtual learning communities (VLCs) will create more access for isolated students who don’t have a local cohort and mentor, especially in hard-to-reach areas and regions of the world.
Project Scope
Instead of treating digital tools merely as a supplement to in-person learning, Union will develop a digital-first, Web3 model that can bring together all the quality advantages of in-person education with the accessibility and flexibility of online learning.
We will create a place to gather and learn virtually – a metacampus – where smaller groups of cohorts from around the world can meet as Virtual Learning Communities. This would be a digital space where workshops can take place and more students can connect to build student community and relationship, and faculty can teach fully virtual lessons by bringing the virtual into the classroom through augmented reality.
To do this, the educational model needs to be completely reimagined from traditional models.
Web3 can facilitate and extend community, enabling relationships where at present this is more challenging online. At present, we have groups of students all around North America and Europe: a few hundred students who have not yet met each other. This is an opportunity to bring everyone together on a virtual campus for fellowship and friendship, and to extend that community and the quality of its educational model worldwide.
Proposed Timelines
Impact Funding: May 2024, 3-Year Project
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Build the team: educators, admin, technical team, advisory board & business partnerships.
Market Research = the right platform and equipment with available financial resources (6-month study).
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Run pilots in the Metaverse for two years and graduate students successfully with full UK degree validated by the Open University. Those who are enrolled on Union’s virtual Learning Community will also benefit from digital competency training from the Metaverse Institute. (METES is a multi-million-pound pledged investment to establish a Metaverse Institute in collaboration with Union in the UK.
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Build digital campus, roll out further VLCs, source equipment requirements, create partnerships with tech business. Onboard the whole school to a Metaverse campus.
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Evaluation and improve, roll out to more cohorts and programmes across the School. Produce final report and blueprint, publish FAQ content.
Goals and Deliverables
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Market research project mapping opportunities and possibilities relevant to theological education, scoping out the challenges and threats.
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Work with university partner on degree validation, academic rigor and student experience.
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Pilot new virtual learning communities with a control group of degree students.
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Successfully build a virtual campus and graduate degree students with full British accreditation.
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By year three, the whole School will begin using Web3 technology.
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We will develop a blueprint for ministry training in the local church through a global, sustainable seminary model that is able to serve the whole body of Christ by providing learning in cohorts, with improved community connection for all students.
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We will promote a model for a wholesale shift for existing seminaries to move from a residential-first model to digital-first, utilizing available and emerging Web3 technology. This could prevent the collapse of many existing seminaries in the west, as well as providing greater access for persecuted Christians and hard-to-reach areas.
Broader Deliverables
Christian Economic Forum early engagement: Joel Morris has been asked to lead a White Paper Cohort on the Metaverse for July’s gathering in 2023.
Web3 conference: Bringing thought leaders together to discuss how to leverage it for the Kingdom of God as well as showcase project results.
Building the network: Union to become a unifier and catalyst of visions in and around the Metaverse and the gospel.
Publish thought leadership content: this could include playbooks, how-to’s, FAQ’s, books both on the macro level and theological viewpoints. A large amount of this content could be compiled from the annual conference speakers and panellists. Developing content like this could start immediately.
Sell expertise to others: with a suite of tools developed at proof of concept. Leverage the depth of skills and expertise to help others.
Financial Model
Project grant funding: at least $400K per year investment is needed to start up the project and cover expenses. A substantial commitment has already been pledged, with the aim to grow the collaboration to more partners.
Business collaboration and sponsorship will offset project costs as shown in the ‘Annual Project Costs’ table – Early thinking by the project team has identified opportunity for tech input and equipment sponsorship from businesses and individuals working within the sector. An advisory team is being formed to contribute to the project.
Income generation will be created through growing the student intake as well as monetizing the blueprint/Metaverse real estate. Consultancy, blueprint, real estate are important factors longer term for sustainability.
Annual Project Costs
Salaries
Tech Project Manager: $50K /year ($150K)
Admin & technical support: $85K ($255K)
Faculty Position – Digital Leader: $50K / year ($150K)
Infrastructure
Student Management System: $18K / year ($54K)
Market research – Project team: $45K
Content creation: $40K
Accreditation work, licenses, quality costs: $30K per year ($90K)
Build/Contractors: $50k
UI/UX Designer: $20K
Misc Expenses: $12K
Get involved
Share in the future of theological education by helping us launch digital-first training for ministry.
Contact the Project Leader, Joel Morris, at joel@theolo.gy or by clicking below: