Worth a Look!! Is it time to write the eulogy of seminary education?

Good read and a lot of what I was hearing in the 60's when I was in seminary.
"In the quest for academic respectability, seminaries have not always remembered that preparing clergy was the mission and lifeblood of their institutional life. Some have focused on preparing scholars, which though essential, is secondary to its primary ministry of preparing new generations of spiritual leaders."
I agree with the above statement and I heard it many times while in school, not a Baptist seminary.
Also one of the big statements back then was asking if the other main job of seminaries and colleges, to keep professors employed and staff as well. Asking was their concern for the mission of the school, the student or the employees. Many believed it was for employment first.
Good to see many of the same questions are still being asked.
From what I have seen in the places that I have lived and worked for the calling God called me to, the preachers who seemed to have the bigger impact and longevity were pastors from BBC Springfield, Mo., DTS, Bob Jones, New Orleans Baptist Seminary( not sure of the proper name of the school), and Philadelphia School of the Bible.

 

Liberals are never right and this article is just one more example.

 

Good to see that the writer has not given up on the M.Div. as the first professional degree for ministry.

At any rate, after reading the article, I find his conclusion quite fitting:

"But if churches and seminaries focus on the rigorous formation of clergy we could produce a generation of leaders who, God willing, might change the world and save mainline Christianity. The alternative is to limp and wander into the future, trusting Darwin with the lives of our clergy, seminaries, and churches. If we do, others will preach the Gospel, but God will not compensate us for faithless, feckless, unimaginative neglect."

And in a way, we're the ones who have created the "mess."

 

Point made and received. :thumbs:

 

Sure, there are a couple clear statements that show the left leanings of the author:

Add to that the source:

The article places all the responsibility of the training on seminaries and makes an ungodly comparison between a doctor and a pastor. Such a focus leaves God and the church out of the equation and relies solely on man to get it done.

The Spirit of God is involved in this process and should never be left out of the equation. Reminds me of the book written by Reggie McNeal "The Present Future" that DOM's were pushing on pastors for a while. If we are going to talk about what to do with the church then the church, God, and scripture need to be part of the equation. Leaving them out of this conversation as does the article and act as if all the activity and responsibility should be solely on seminaries apart from them is liberal.

 

With an exception or two, I agree with what the good Dr. says here. I would not make the M.Div the sole educational entry into mainline ordination. But the baby shouldn't fly out the window ahead of the bathwater either. So true what the author said about how seminaries will jettison languages, theology, etc., in favor of niche electives.

 

I know from experience that it is not fun to follow a pastor that preached sugar water from ignorance rather than God's word from his first hand study of it.