Siburt Institute (ACU) Cohorts — Organization Profile
The Siburt Institute for Church Ministry is a church-serving center at Abilene Christian University that exists to equip and serve church leaders for God’s mission in the world. Based in Abilene, Texas, the Institute supports churches and leaders through formation, resourcing, networking, and reflection, offering programs that strengthen both spiritual health and ministry practice.
Among Siburt’s offerings are cohort-based experiences—structured journeys where leaders learn in community over time. These cohorts are designed to pair guided instruction with practical formation, helping participants cultivate habits and frameworks that can sustain faithful ministry in demanding contexts. While Siburt hosts a wide range of gatherings and tools, its cohort pathways stand out for their emphasis on intentional community, spiritual practices, and long-term growth.
One of the Institute’s best-known cohort models is the Contemplative Ministers’ Initiative (CMI), a two-year program that helps ministers develop a contemplative life with the aim of serving as a calm, spiritually centered presence in their churches. CMI follows a multi-retreat structure across two years, with retreats designed to form ministers through stages that include differentiation, contemplation, incarnation, and integration. Siburt notes that each year CMI launches a cohort of 12 ministers, with a focus on lead ministers in the first half of their careers.
CMI is led by Houston Heflin and was founded by Randy Harris, who remains actively involved in spiritual direction and teaching connected to the initiative. Siburt also notes that Eddie Sharp serves as a conversation partner with each participant’s elders or leaders, supporting the relationship between the minister’s formation and the congregation’s leadership context. This combination of retreat-based formation and leadership support is intended to help ministers build spiritual stamina for long-term service.
Another cohort pathway is the Selah Certificate in Spiritual Direction, a 15-month program grounded in Christian contemplative disciplines. The Selah cohort is designed for those who sense a call to spiritual direction and who already have regular spiritual practices and a reputation for maturity and companionship. The program includes directed readings, connection with a spiritual mentor, residential retreats with other participants and staff, an integrative paper, and a supervised internship in spiritual direction. Siburt also clarifies that the certificate is not academic credit and should not be considered equivalent to a degree credential; it is intended to develop professional skills and spiritual knowledge for the practice of spiritual direction.
Taken together, Siburt’s cohort pathways reflect a consistent theme: formation that is relational, disciplined, and sustainable. Whether a minister is seeking deeper contemplative practices or training for spiritual companionship, these cohorts provide structured learning in community, supported by the Institute’s broader ecosystem of resources such as its podcast and publications.
Leaders and churches can engage with Siburt’s cohort opportunities by exploring program details, contacting the Institute for guidance on fit, and partnering financially to support the Institute’s mission. For ministers and leaders who want more than a one-time event, Siburt’s cohort model offers a repeatable way to pursue spiritual depth while remaining anchored in the realities of church leadership.
Key Links
- Website: https://www.siburtinstitute.org/
- About Siburt Institute: https://www.siburtinstitute.org/about-us
- Contact Our Team: https://www.siburtinstitute.org/contact
- Contemplative Ministers’ Initiative (CMI): https://www.siburtinstitute.org/cmi/
- Selah Certificate in Spiritual Direction: https://www.siburtinstitute.org/selah
- Podcast (Live from the Siburt Institute): https://siburtinstitute.podbean.com/
- Mosaic (Blog): https://www.siburtinstitute.org/mosaic
- Give: https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1565/lg20/form.aspx?cid=7586&gid=1&pgid=3821&sid=1565
Contact Information
- Email: si*************@*cu.edu
- Email: se***@*cu.edu
- Email: co*******@*cu.edu
- Phone: 325-674-3732
- Phone: 325-674-3783
- Mailing address: ACU Box 29405, Abilene, TX 79699
- Mailing address: 1850 Teague Blvd., Abilene, TX 79699
Socials
- https://www.facebook.com/siburtinstitute/
- https://www.instagram.com/siburtinstitute
- https://x.com/siburtinstitute
- https://www.youtube.com/siburtinstitute
Leadership
- Carson Reed — Executive Director
- David Kneip — Associate Director
- Houston Heflin — CMI Director
- Randy Harris — CMI Founder / Senior Consultant and University Fellow
- Eddie Sharp — CMI Leadership Conversation Partner
- Corie Fox — CMI Contact / Looking Team Manager
