Mission

The Italian Theological Academy (ITA) is a pastoral-training ministry born in 2004 out of the need to introduce the Italian evangelical church in Italy to expository preaching. In 2014 the ITA was re-constituted and re-established as a church-based training academy associated to and training out of the Bible Church of Messina in the city of Messina, Italy. In other words, from a stand-alone facility, the ITA migrated its pastoral training to a local church that would host the ministry of ITA and operate as a practical ministry laboratory for ITA students (men in training).

The ITA strives to pursue training in expository preaching firmly convinced that the need of the day in Italy is a minister and a ministry (a local church(es) trained in expositing the whole counsel of God for the Church and people of God in Italy. Its equipping as a result is aimed at men aspiring to the office of overseer (elder/pastor) (church government and leadership) (1 Tim 3:1). Training envisions a man of God that is adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3:17), one who holds fast the faithful word, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict (Tit 1:9). Training is therefore holistic in that the outcome when the student completes the program is that of a pastor-shepherd. This is a man equipped for exposition with the ability to use that exposition to shepherd the local flock he has been called to.

The ITA since 2019 has been led to expand its focus of training in Italy. From the man it has broadened its equipping to include all the church. Though still resolved on training the aspiring expositor, to fulfill that intent the ITA has gone back to the basics. A new academic curriculum has been introduced consisting of courses and tracks for all believers and local church members (both men and women). These courses and training tracks include a first year survey of the Bible (Bible Survey) beginning from the Old and progressing through the New Testament chapter by chapter and book by book. Following this first year, a second year known as Foundations. Included here is instruction on basic doctrinal/theological and practical ministry life in the local church for all members. Upon completion of these two first years, the basic training curriculum incorporates two separate tracks consisting of two additional years each. Students can pursue biblical counseling as the first two year track open to both men and women. Students can also pursue expository preaching as the second two year track open only to men.

The ITA trains in accordance to a part-time (modular) format. Its classes are held both online and on-site (physically) at the various local-church locations throughout Italy where ITA has partnerships with Italian local churches.

The ITA as of September 2020 will begin operating from Rome, Italy. The Bible Church of Messina will remain as a partner church for ITA training in southern Italy. The main location from which ITA will however minister will now be Rome.

The ITA finally is involved in both pastoral conferences and publishing beyond its core equipping ministry in Italy. Annually, it hosts a flagship conference for its men in training called “The Church” (a conference aimed at assisting church leaders in conforming to a more biblical philosophy of ministry in their own pastorates and local churches). ITA is also presently working to translate the entire MacArthur New Testament Commentary series into the Italian language and Biblical Doctrine.