Best Education for Pastors

Best???

To all who have an ear:

"This is an hard saying; who can hear it...!" The very best program would be in the local church and to have a young minister be mentored by a multiplicity of Elders who have different gifts. It would follow the medieval model of the Journeyman-Apprenticeship indenture agreement. There are not many programs like that as we all know too well. And before many of you rebuke me for what seems to be a contradiction on my part, I beg you to read the rest. Here is a program that I believe to be one of the best in this biblical genre:

http://www.mctsowensboro.org/ It is the Midwest Center for Theological Studies. It is an "in house" "church school." But all of us who "have been around the block" know of the problems that most if not all of these small schools have had in the past. They don't show up much in the SBC realm but constantly show up in the IFB sphere. (I have a lot to say here but had best not show all of my biases and prejudices!:laugh: ).

There is no doubt that that is the best model when the young preachers do not come out looking like some big headed ego-maniac. One who believes he has all the answers to all the theological and eschatological questions.

However, we have "farmed this out" to the denominational seminaries and grad schools of religion at our prestigious universities have we not?

The next to best thing that I have run across is the "learn as you go" model. At Mid America we had to have two missions projects per week for the full time student and had to witness to at least one person per week to get academic credit.

At the ATS schools I have attended, each person had to do some number of academic hours per degree in order to graduate. These were some sort of mentored program usually done in a church or para church circumstance. There was a learning contract, supervised time, et al. It was much like the old Journeyman-Apprenticeship model mentioned above. It seemed to work very well from my POV.

But, nothing could take the place (or can it) of the "in house" church model laid down in the NT--if it could be done correctly. This has been a "beat the dead horse" issue here on this section of the BB. In today's world of higher and higher education and degrees and educational snobbery, I see it only getting worse as we go along. This to the exclusion of the mentored in church model.

Just the meanderings of a senile old man who has been around the academic block more than once.

Stay by the stuff!:thumbs:
sdg!

rd

 

Educational Response!

E G,

The thing that I believe about us "education snobs" that may be sometimes missed is the fact that most--if not all of us (at least in the SBC ranks) are "called to preach." If you miss this dynamic you have missed our heart beat!

So, we either want to be the best pastor-teacher that we can be and find the means to that end is the MDiv from an SBC seminary; or we want to train those who will pastor with our own small focus or discipline of the academy.

Never fear and let all who read this assuredly understand that I am first and foremost called to preach. And it is my understanding that the first and foremost call of the preacher is the local church preaching-teaching ministry.

God did not ordain "song leaders!"

God did not ordain jumbo trons!

God did not ordain "Christian" drama!

God did not ordain youth directors!

God did not ordain any of the other thousand specialty positions that our churches, especially the mega-churches have! (And I am in one so don't send me those cards and letters!).

God ordained the foolishness of the message preached and the means of preaching to call the lost to salvation, and to equip them for the ministry, and to build up--THE CHURCH!!!

The church is the only organization God has ordained.

Preaching-Teaching is the only office other that Evangelist that he is ordained, IMHO! But even the Evangelist has to preach does he not?

Sorry for the rant, but is seems that preaching has fallen on hard times!!!??? And as one trained in Classical Rhetoric, I can see the need for the preached word to draw upon all sources for its improvement to call men to repentance.

Stay by the stuff!:smilewinkgrin:

sdg!

rd