Denver Seminary

Which Denver Seminary?

 

My Pastor is taking his doctral work at Denver Theological. He is enjoying the work and it seems to be well worth the money.

 

I had heard that the cba Denver Seminary was now above Grounds, if you will, that it had turned around but don't know much more. Someone told me someone by name of Hendricks was leading it for awhile and had done some good. http://www.denverseminary.edu/index.php

There is also a Methodist Seminary that used to be way liberal.

there is also the Rocky Mountain Bible college and Sem. which I think is along the lines of the IFCA.
http://www.rmbc.edu/

 

http://www.denverseminary.edu/catalog/index.php?page=10 is the history of denver seminary, it was Hadden Robinson not hendricks. Still don't know where it stands now days.

 

Bob,

What makes Denver liberal?

 

I've known some good men who have come from Denver Seminary. So I too am wondering about it being liberal.

 

Dr. Bob,

I don't disagree with your evaluation of Denver, but quoting the hyper-critical Bobgan's doesn't shed any light on the matter. I often wonder what motivates some brothers to invest so much time pointing out the supposed faults or heresies in others. Perhaps they consider themselves defenders of the faith - and the Lord knows we need that - but it has to be awfully depressing to expend so much energy finding fault with others, even if it is warranted. Maybe this should be a separate thread?

Scooter

 

I have not kept up with Denver. I considered attending seminary there in 1983, but went to TEDS instead.

I haven't kept up with Vernon Grounds, either.

What makes them liberal?

They believed in the "fundamentals" when I looked at them.

Being connected with the CBA is also not something that would make me think, "liberal."

What is a "conservative" pastor?

I agree that too much emphasis can be placed on "psychology."

I also agree that Christian counselors should have a mastery of languages and theology/Bible, just like other M.Div. students, especially because they want to be counselors.

Because I have no information on Denver today, I find it hard to believe that they are "liberal" in the classic sense of the world.

 

I find it interesting that the authors of that article live in a very liberal area that is one of the most expensive areas of the US to live. A cheap house there would cost about $700,000. At one time I lived not too far from them. My in-laws have lived about two miles away from them for about 42 years and we have never heard of them.

All of my friends who have graduated from the seminary are close to my age. I just don't see a shred of evidence in them of liberalism. I would consider my friends that went there more conservative than majority of those I know from SWBTS. I am sure there are liberals just as there are in any organization. I have even seen folks from The Navigators join the Mormon Church. Folks form the SBC have joined the JW's and Mormons. In fact those I know who were once in the Mormon Church tell me that the majority of their people who come from outside Mormon circles came from Catholic and SBC churches.

 

Dr. Bob, is as usual, correct. Denver Seminary has become extremely ecumenical in the last 20 years.

Although Denver Seminary still may call itself 'Conservative Baptist Theological Seminary' it is no longer Conservative and has very little Baptist influence. AFAIK, only one of the profs attends a Baptist church, most attend Presbyterian, Evangelical Free, Non-Denominational, etc. churches. The Associate Dean used to attend an Anglician church, although he left that particular church, I don't know if he is attending an Anglician church presently.

The President and numerous profs are members of 'Christians for Biblical Equality', a so-called 'Christian' organization that believes in total equality between women and men, in ministry and otherwise.

There are many female students attending there who are getting degrees to enter the pastorate.

 

I don't agree with the "Christians for Biblical Equality" movement, but that doesn't make those who do "liberal."

Neither does attending Presbyterian, EFCA, Non-denominational, etc. churches.

Being ecumenical doesn't make one liberal!

In fact, it probably makes one a "historic fundamentalist" if the churches believe in the fundamentals of the faith!

 

What prompted the change?

Of course the men I know who graduated from Denver graduated more than 20 years ago. None of them I know would support what you stated.

So I am curious.

 

I'm not sure of the specific reasons why DS changed over the last 20-25 years. A president sets the tone and direction that a school follows and I think that probably a past president (Grounds? Robinson?) started the school in that direction. Then faculty with a leaning towards that view was hired (I was told that were were a lot of faculty members that left the school in the 1980's) and soon there is a major shift in the direction the school takes.

I purposely did not use the word 'liberal' in my previous posting. The point I wanted to make was that many Baptists who read this board would probably not be comfortable with the doctrines the school is teaching.

I will however, use the word 'liberal' in describing the political leanings of the majority (meaning more than 50%) of the faculty and administration. November 3rd was a sad day for the majority (again, meaning more than 50%) of them.

If you are a political conservative, and are not comfortable with the idea of complete equality between men and women in the ministry, you will find yourself in the minority there.

 

Grounds was accused of being amill toward the end of his time there, and I was told by a friend/student that Robinson was a positive for the school, but haven't heard much since Robinson's day.

CBA in general has gotten quite "worldly" in some ways, one of their home mission efforts plants churches only where it is "cost effective," and here on the west coast one of their churches send their youth to Palau get togethers to assist.

We attended one of the more conservative churches for awhile but the pastor had OMF speaker in and he had little to say in the pulpit except mean mouthing theology and theologians.

 

I find that interesting. I met with the CBA mission board to plant a church with them and they wanted to use me. But after a little more time with the man from the CBA I had to work with I began to have some serious questions about what he believed and what he promoted.

One of the questions he asked me was, "Why would someone want to come to your church on Sunday?" I told him, "Because there are autherntic Christians there." He told me, "No" and that the reason why people would come is because of good entertainment.

A friend of mine planting a church with the SBC went to one of their church growth conferences. He came back and told me they said to plant churches in the wealthier parts of town. It was kind of funny because he was in one of the poorest parts of towna nd doing well. It seems as though some are trying to rid the Holy Spirit of His job and do it themselves. Geogre Barna wrote a book a few years ago and mentioned about a church that went to Willow Creek and came back and did everything they did and grew from about 50 to about 500 in one year and then the next year was back down to about 50 again. God will not be mocked. 2 Chron 7:14 is still true.