Churches, Before You Say “We Want a Seminary Graduate,” Read This

[presidente]

I used to read a newsletter by George Patterson, a missionary who'd helped plant a number of churches in Central America and who had trained a number of leaders. I also read a little of his writings in the Perspectives book. George Patterson got his advanced degree and went down there and taught at a Bible college. The young people who went to school there found their degrees were well received by employers at the banana plantation. So Patterson's boss gave him a saddle and said that he was the 'chair' of a new department, and the saddle was his chair. He rode his horse up into the mountains to teach and train believers. He worked with the type of men who would be the fathers of the people who he was teaching before.

One theme in some of his newsletters is how Bible college and seminary students are often not the type of people that fit the Biblical description of elder/overseer. He also warned of church leaders who decided to send their best and brightest young people to Bible college, who often come back thinking they know more than their elders who are leaders of the church when the come back.

It's a big problem. Many churches hire men who have degrees or claim to be called, who don't fit the Biblical qualifications for overseer. But those who are Biblical qualified can be excluded because they don't have the degrees.

When I look at scripture, when it comes to the local eldership ministry, I don't see kids going to a Bible college. They appointed men from within their congregations who fit the lifestyle and character requirements of I Timothy 3 and Titus 1.

 

[presidente]

This may be more a problem for certain Bible colleges than seminaries, but it seems like some of the grads regurgitate the denominational party line where it is Biblical or not.

 

[Angela53510]

This is all so much low brow garbage.

As a seminary trained chaplain with a 3 year 90 credit MDiv, I can assure you that the vast majority of students are there because God has called them. Many plant churches, work full time to support and take courses! They are not arrogrant, they learn how to teach, preach, counsel and led small churches at home and abroad.

Some go on to get Ph.D's and teach in mission fields to train local or native pastors. Others help in here in churches as elders and continue to work and make disciples in all the world.

Seminary is a place to learn hermeneutics or Biblical interpretation. This helps the pastor counter heresies, and apologetics to defend the faith.

People who make ignorant statements like the quote in the OP have never set foot in a Seminary. They would find a culture of mentoring students to walk closer to God, and an atmosphere of worshiping and glorifying a God.

My own pastor has a Ph.D in preaching. He has gently urged the church to read the Bible yearly, to pray daily, to connect and disciple within the congregation, and to do personal and large group evangelism. His preaching is to take a passage of Scripture
and explain it to the congregation in a way that everyone can understand and apply the Scripture to their lives. He is deep enough that I always learn something, but so does my best friend from Peru, who has English as a second language. He has inspired my friend to dig deeper into the Bible and I am helping her learn hermeneutics.

I think these disgruntled people who put down seminary grads aren't smart enough, but even more important, they don't have the dedication and endurance to go the distance to finish an MDiv. Some of my fellow grads are pastors in big cities, small towns in northern Saskatchewan, and Spain! Several have gone to Mainland China to preach the gospel, and others work with youth. I love my work as a chaplain, and I could not do it had I not been trained, including the practicums in the field.

I had no idea people loved an ignorant and untrained pastor. Because that is what you get without Seminary!

 

[shrimp]

You know what? All of this is a bunch of malarkey. I have met many Godly pastors and preachers who have a tight walk with God, who have never been to seminary and lead their flock as Christ has them. I have also met some arrogant self centered pastors who have gone to seminary. AND VICE VERSA. It has less to do with education and more to do with GOD.

 

[kayem77]

When I look at scripture, when it comes to the local eldership ministry, I don't see kids going to a Bible college. They appointed men from within their congregations who fit the lifestyle and character requirements of I Timothy 3 and Titus 1.

Of course they didn't, because there were no Bible colleges, or any colleges at all. But you already know that I know. My point is, people didn't go to school then either, but that doesn't mean school is bad, right? The problem with this argument is that it doesn't consider the needs of the church here and today, compared to the problems the church had then and there. The requirements of the Bible don't exclude having a degree. If you can pursue deeper understanding, why not do it? I don't see what's unbiblical about that.