Choosing b/w Southeastern and Mid-America Seminaries

==I attended Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary a few years back. I really enjoyed my time at the school (I transfered to Liberty's dlp program due to conflicts with my job, etc).

The school is near Raleigh and is located in Wake Forest. Below are the information websites for those two locations.

City of Raleigh

Town of Wake Forest

 

I know Southeastern is a great school....they have a very good president right now. Also, Martin is someone whose advice you could trust. However, I don't have any firsthand knowledge of them.

I do, on the other hand, know a little more about Mid-America. They are extremely conservative (a characteristic I like), all of the professors there have been in the real world and been in ministry. They are not ivory tower professional academics....however that does not mean they are not scholarly. Mid-America's profs would rival any of the other "big six".

Mid-America's graduate tend to be soul-winners. Their theology department tends to be calvinistic (again a good thing in the eyes of some of us) but that does not deter their evangelistic fervor.

All that said....I'm not a Mid-America grad!! I've visited the school several times and had planned on attending but took another pastorate in a different area. I have several friends that have attended there and they would tell you similar things.

It isn't one of the "big six" sbc seminaries, however MABTS has gained a reputation as an excellent school that prepares/trains pastors more than adequately. They have 2+2 MDiv or MMiss program with IMB. In addition they were really alone in the 70s and early 80s when sbc theological education was still largely liberal....they are know for their stands on the fundamentals.

Both schools are great and I think you would prepared well at either. I don't mean to preach to the choir....seek the Lord.....however, He can give you the liberty to choose which one you want to go to.

God bless!

 

While I have a friend who teaches at MABTS, I would recommend Southeastern. It is a quality school with profs passionate for the Lord.

While MABTS is passionate about evangelism (and I will get flamed for this raying, I think their required evangelism superficial. If all the school reports to have been converted had truly been converted since the school was founded, the Memphis area would have been turned upside down for the Lord. You asked for honest opinions, so there it is. Academically, though, MABTS is a good school. I did a PhD at SBTS with some MABTS alums in some of my seminars, and they did good work.

Blessings,
Bill

 

I think you would get a quality education from either seminary. If you put the work in and make the choice to get the most out of seminary possible, then you will do fine.

Just curious, seeing that you are from Kentucky, why are you not considering Southern?

 

As a graduate of one of the "big 6" I had some thoughts regarding MABTS when I visited it with a friend who was considering studying there.

For one, I thought it was very personable, and I was under the impression that a student could have a great realtionship with his professors. I also found everything, even the business office, to be very sincere and ministry minded.

The dress code struck me as odd. Personally, I don't care if a school has a dress code and I don't have much patience with people who go and then complain...after all, you knew when you went.

What struck me as odd about the dress code (shirt and tie) was that the reason given was money, that is "our biggest contributors expect it." However, there seem to be an underlying mentality that a shirt and tie someone made someone a better minister. Not sure exactly how to pen point that thought, but I know I heard one student say, "its not required, but nobody will talk to you if you don't wear a tie." Another student was eager to show me some report that said "business causal" was a thing of the past...those ties were right all along.

Tradition often works its way into theology, and I got the sense that it was doing that there.

However, if you don't mind the ties...it doesn't seem like a bad place to go at all. And Memphis has some great BBQ, music, history, etc....its a happenin' place.

Of course, if one were choosing a seminary based on food, well there's no place like NOBTS!

 

Such comments often make me wonder about actual church involvment among the students. When I was in seminary, I rarely made it to chapel. My schedule was extremely tight and I could not work chapel in. Now, I was very involved in the ministry of my church, but I would often here this criticism...often from people who would not go to a church unless they were on the payroll.

Many good things become moral things and then required things...but if you know this going in, then it can be part of your decision.

Interestingly enough, Gray Allison's grandson once told me that there was no way he was wearing a tie when he started at MABTS....I never found out if that became true.

 

I esteem SEBTS to be the better of the two. Dr. Akin is an outstanding man as president and some of the faculty are very good. I don't like the MABTS practice of required "evangelism" as someone else pointed out.

But here's my question: why wouldn't you go to the best seminary on earth, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville? :thumbs:

 

Well...

IMHO SEBTS is hands down the best of the six SBC Seminaries. However, you may say that I am biased being that I am on staff here and will graduate this coming May!:applause:

I expect SWBTS will become the real power house very soon since they have discovered oil on the campus property.

What's the name of that cute little school over in Louisville, KY?...:smilewinkgrin:

 

As a two-time SBTS alumnus, I probably don't have to state where I would like to see you go. That said, SEBTS and MABTS are good institutions. As I stated above, I personally would not choose MABTS because of the evangelism requirement. I was in a school which had a similar requirement, and the "evangelism" basically was reduced to getting a decision for Jesus. Maybe students should have to turn in report slips for how much Bible they read, how much time was spent praying, how many times they assured their wives of their love, etc.

Before my family moved to the Louisville area in 1996, I had taken extension courses from both NOBTS and SEBTS professors at the schools' extensions in Georgia. I was impressed with the quality of the SEBTS profs. Also, Danny Akin served on my PhD committee at Southern before he moved to Wake Forest.

Concerning vocational ministry opportunities, a lot will depend on your experience and age. You appear to be a young man, but that does not mean a bivocational pastorate is out of the question. It may be a bit more difficult to secure one than if you were older. I can say there are good ministry opportunities within driving distance of SBTS, with the Ministry Referral Office dedicated to helping students find them.

However, I would not go to any seminary expecting to secure a vocational ministry experience, especially if I did not have prior experience. I would get a good part-time job lined up, perhaps at a UPS or FedEx distributor. You can usually line up a work schedule that will function with your class schedule.

It will be a transition, though. You're going to have to fight for time to spend with your wife and child as you should. Too many seminary families get relegated to an afterthought while the husband/dad is up to his eyes in class requirements and work.

Blessings in your search.

Bill

 

They're not booing

In the immortal words of Chip Caray back in the old days, and Peyton Manning in these last days...

"they're not 'boo'ing, they're 'Hey you'ing!"

"You" being Rhetorician and TomVols.
"They" being everybody in Wake Forest and quite a few people spread out around central NC. :wavey::laugh:

 

And if they weren't so polite and the training at SEBTS wasn't so thorough, they would be taking off their shoes and shirts and wanting to fight. :laugh:

What do you want to study Heb 11:6?
Maybe (SEBTS) that will (SEBTS) help us make a (SEBTS) decision for you (SEBTS) I mean (SEBTS) with (SEBTS) you. :laugh:

 

Unscientific opinion

Well, guys, I'll weigh in with a completely biased personal opinion. I like MABTS simply because of Gray Allison, David Skinner and Jimmy Millikin but SEBTS has Daniel Akin and Robert Jones too. So, for a statistical scientific decision, just flip a coin. :smilewinkgrin:

 

Hey Brother Rhet,

It's all taken and handed out in good natured Southern Baptist fun (along with a healthy dose of not takin myself too seriously)!:smilewinkgrin: