Around the world, most professional people are requested and expected to participate in continuing training, which is often referred to as ‘continuing professional development’. Many denominations expect their pastors and other clergy to participate in such training. The Dutch Reformed Church has an official policy, in terms of which it expects such continuing theological training and ministry development of its ordained pastors. The introduction to this article offers some insight into the rationale behind such an expectation. After describing the history and programme of one of the first centres that offers such training, the history and programme of the Ecumenical Centre for Contextual Ministry, Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria is described.