Dr Kevin Bauder on the "Cadillac" of Degree-The Master of Divinity Part 1

To begin with, I'll mention that Bauder's article is also available in a different format at Religious Affections Ministries.

I'll not say much about the MDiv degree being shortened, since I don't see copying the secular model of education as the ideal. But, for those who are strong supporters of this model, it seems that the shortening of the program from 90 hours to 72 hours is in effect denying what they advocate. (I suppose they might argue doing this for financial reasons?)

Second, "a man with seminary behind him will be more effective in ministry than the same man without it" is an unprovable assumption. I have, on occasion, witnessed the reverse -- a man, the same man, with an "effective ministry" becoming less effective after a stint in the seminary.

Third, I have seen (somewhat from afar) the types of ministries that "more closely resembled circuses and theaters than New Testament congregations." Definitely poor thinkers with a fairly weak ability to study the text of Scripture for themselves and a relatively sketchy knowledge of the system of faith have led congregations to "pack a pew" and such like with promises of swallowing goldfish or preaching from church roofs in their underwear. (May God deliver us!) But I've also seen non-seminarians who'd never fall into such religious quackery. I've also seen among certain cliques of IFBs where every Tom, Dick, and Houdini claimed to be a "Doctor" (however sketchy that claim may be).

Finally, I think Bauder's history is accurate so far as it goes. In my opinion it somewhat limits the strain of just who are Fundamentalists. My background follows a different trajectory for what he talks about, being Baptists who left the convention both earlier and later than J. Frank Norris (the best known IFB name in our region). Our roots are in denominational trouble in the Baptist General Convention of Texas in the late 1800s. By 1900, a fairly large minority had withdrawn and created the Baptist Missionary Association of Texas. Many people don't think of the BMAT as IFB, and in some ways rightly so, but they were and are clearly ensconced in the of the Fundamentals of the faith. There was co-mingling of the BMAT with other Fundamentalist come-outers, such as Norris and the Bogard Baptists in Arkansas (the combination of Texas and Arkansas churches in the ABA would meet at Norris's FBC Fort Worth in 1935, even though he was not a member of their body). Many, if not most, also took stands that were separatist (against liberal, ecumenical, and denominational churches, e.g) and militant (against card-playing, movies, TVs, dancing, mixed bathing, long hair on men -- but not smoking!). All this to say that I believe our background is solidly fundamental, even though some don't think about it this way (otoh, the Handbook of Denominations places both the Baptist Bible Fellowship International and Baptist Missionary Association of America under "Fundamentalist and Bible Churches"). But one interesting thing in relation to Bauder's topic is this. These Baptists made preparation for an educational institution -- albeit a college rather than a seminary -- even before they organized separately from the BGCT. In 1899 a charter established the Jacksonville Baptist College as a four-year senior college (it's now a junior college, probably because of finances) and it opened in the fall of 1899. The BMAT wasn't formed until 1900 (the college was several years later given to the association). Again, I realize this was a college and not a seminary, but it indicates we may have had a little different background organizationally toward education. (These Baptists wanted all their children to have access to a good education.) While there were churches and preachers who did not believe in the necessity of seminary education for preachers, it seems for the most part (as far as I know) these churches with a generally high view of education didn't fall into some of the same theatrics that other fundamentalists did.

Also, though I'm trying to stop rambling, it is worth noting that churches through the years since 1900 even until recently have departed from the BMAT and ABA organizations and entered the completely unaffiliated fundamentalist ranks. This is true of several of the churches we are closely associated with.

 

In regard to the point I was making, I was not distinguishing between Northern & Southern Fundamentalists (he does mention W. B. Riley, north, and J. Frank Norris, south), but the fact that certain groups such as the BMAT are just generally left out of any discussions of fundamentalists, regardless of whether North or South.

 

The .gov may have some responsibility for 72 hour MDivs. DoD reauires the 72 hours for chaplains, I checked a Veterans Affairs chaplain position on usajobs and they required 70 hours.

 

Having been to a "moderate" (i.e. Liberal) evangelical seminary to acquire the equivalent of an MTS, Asbury Theological Seminary, back when I was a liberal Christian; I must say that the most important thing someone can do is research the positions of the seminary and its professors, especially those teaching classes you will take, to make sure they are within the playing field of the bible as you broadly interpret it. Leaving room for your own error. Of course, if you have "red lines" on doctrine that you will not cross, as I do; Then I sincerely hope you will not go to an institution where nearly everyone crosses them, and they teach you to do the same. Such would be a violation of conscience.

I was forced to leave Asbury when I became a fundamentalist, in that I oppose Modernity in the Church. It was because I realized that I was never going to to agree with seminary on a number of "red line" doctrinal issues, or with my professors for that matter. I was forced to accept halfway to my MDiv degree as the destination when my sojourn there ended, and move onto finding another seminary. I am currently preparing for part time work in order to pay my way without more student loans. Although my goal is not to be an elder, as I am only two years in the faith if liberal Christian is apostate, as I believe it to be. Instead, I want to be a teacher of the Gospel and a Christian writer under elders, who have sound doctrine to me.

The next thing I have found is that 90-96 credit hours seems about right, being halfway there. I even wonder if that is enough schooling to be an elder of any sort. I see seminary as teaching the following critical areas I have observed in an MDiv:

Bible Scholarship and Biblical Languages - The study and teaching of the bible.
Systematic Theology - The formulation and defense of doctrine.
Church History - The story of how we got here in 2000 years.
Practical Theology - How to lead and serve in each of a church's roles.

I do not think church history is given enough justice currently. I mean only got Church History 1 and 2 and it amounted to a hill of beans when I got here to the BB, compared to everyone else.

All of that said, I do not see how classes could be easily eliminated while still teaching these core subject matters. If anything I see the need to require something akin to lifelong learning if you want to be an elder to mature knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in each of these four subject matters.

 

In light of this thread, I was interested in the comments of another seminarian (SBC) about the M.Div. Quite different from Kevin Bauder's thoughts.

 

Cedarville's now offering what it calls an 'accelerated path to ministry': BA+MDiv in five years. MDiv portion just 61 hours!

https://www.cedarville.edu/Academic-Programs/Accelerated-BA-MDiv.aspx

 

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KIndly expand on how Corban-formerly Western Baptist--displays "the very worst characteristics of the Neo Evangelicalism... ."
Thanks.