The problem to be addressed through this study is the low enrollment and completion rates for the professional development of pastors within the North American Division of the Adventist Learning Community. The study addresses the issue of low enrollment and completion rates in self-paced online professional development courses for pastors within the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists, specifically in the Adventist Learning Community. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the experiences of pastors as adult learners within a self-paced online professional development course when understood through the lens of measures of student success, such as student enrollment and course completion. Conducted through qualitative descriptive methods, it explores pastors' experiences as adult learners in these courses, focusing on measures of student success like enrollment and completion. Ten pastors participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews, representing varied interactions (enrolled/not enrolled; completed course/did not complete course) with the Adventist Learning Community. The findings highlighted several key factors influencing pastors' engagement and completion rates. Pastors valued courses that aligned with their development plans, helped advance their churches, met conference leadership requirements, and resonated with their peer group's developmental focus. The study underscored the importance of awareness about the Adventist Learning Community in influencing pastors' decisions to enroll and complete courses. Recommendations include targeted marketing strategies to address diverse pastoral needs at different career stages. Additionally, pastors emphasized the relevance of course content to their ministry contexts and the supportive role of conference-level structures and peer influences in motivating their participation. Future research suggestions include exploring administrators' perspectives on the Adventist Learning Community's effectiveness and employing quantitative methods to assess the strength of various factors impacting pastors' engagement and completion rates. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]