Do I NEED to go ?

One thing to consider is that at seminary (an SBC one anyway) you'll learn to read the Bible in its original languages of Hebrew and Greek. This makes the biblical text come alive in your hands and greatly empowers your preaching.

As Baptists as far as I know there is no requirement that a pastor attend seminary. However, I would not trade my time here at SEBTS for anything.

 

Seminary is wise for the sheer discipline of it. Forcing yourself to study and learn in areas you would otherwise avoid is a must for the effective, modern pastor.

 

Dan53, here is my experience in a nutshell. It illustrates why I am glad I went to seminary.

I graduated from Bible college in 1988 and went to work in a small church in VA. In BC, I had learned to develop and preach pretty good sermons, so I was pretty successful in the little church. The crowd was growing & I felt the church was going to go forward. However, I ran into situations that I was simply not ready to handle (at the ripe old age of 25!). One Sunday, a lady stood up and said that her neice's son had committed suicide the night before. That afternoon I went out to the neice's home. I felt very unprepared and inadequate in that situation. I did not know what to do or say and I really did not know how to open the scriptures and minister one-on-one to family members. I also discovered that a teenage girl was being sexually abused by her uncle. I had no idea that such a thing happened in the world and certainly did not know what to do. There were also issues of dealing with leadership in a church which was entrenched and not impressed with the "newfangled" ideas I brought into the church.

The wisdom to deal with all of this comes through a process of walking with the Lord over time. You need to give yourself fully to the Lord in studying the Word and in prayer. You also need to get some experience SERVING in ministry (i.e. in a place that is not in the spotlight) to get some practical experience. You also need to develop some skills in dealing with people. Frankly, those skills come to men later in life rather than earlier. I sure didn't have them when I was 25 (& I still struggle with them now). The whole of the seminary experience is a great place to develop all of these. Don't enter ministry as a novice, but take some time and get prepared.

 

For me Seminary is a preparatory period. I am 36, and have established myself in the computer industry. My degree is computer related. 3 years ago my wife and I felt lead to leave our really small town lifestyle and move to Phoenix. We then were asked to work with the youth in a mission church. That meant build the ministry with no experience. We have moved to another mission church and I have surrendered to pastoral ministry in July of last year. Our pastors have agreed to train me. One requirement they have made clear is to do seminary. Their reason was that I need to develop the Bible study habits that I will use to "feed a flock." I have found that I have learned techniques and principles i would never have developped otherwise. 3 key ingredints to developing a solid life of ministry. Prayer, study and experience. seminary can help the second.

 

Indeed, God can use a preacher who hasn't been to Seminary. But it doesn't hurt if the preacher sharpens his tools, does it?

The next best thing to clean living is correct thinking. Seminary helps with both.

rufus

 

If the Lord does not preach in me, by His Spirit, then I will not preach.

I believe this.

A pastor from the GARBC (????) in Jasper IN, told me once that my service to God would be limited by what I believe.

Consider this statement carefully before you agree with it fully.

God Bless.
Bro. Dallas

 

At least get a Master's in Biblical Studies or Biblical Counseling. The mentality that a college education (or less) is all that is needed to thoroughly prepare a man for ministry is faulty.

One will never regret an extra year or so in school.

 

Frogman,

Are you saying that that pastor told you that you would be limited in your service to God if you had systematic beliefs about God or theological subjects? On the converse, is that to be taken that the less you believe about God, the more you can be in service to Him? Please clarify, because I may be taking this the wrong way.
DR