Criteria for Measuring the Quality of Grads of Evangelical Seminaries

Well-said, Dr. Bob.

 

Hey, this is great! Almost sounds like NT Christianity. Just watch out though. You'll stub your toe when you start giving doctorates to all these guys and calling one another doctor, doctor.

 

Since when has seminary become "the world's standards" for ministry preparations? The first colleges in this country were divinity schools, and such training goes back to the old world. There is nothing worldly about seminary education. It is a vital part of training for the NT ministry. It is a part of 2 Tim 2:2 where faithful men pass on to faithful men who can teach others also.

Assessing the quality of an education will depend very much on the values one possesses. For me, an education at an Ivy League seminary (Harvard, Yale) would be worthless because I don't value liberal scholarship (a veritable oxymoron in many ways). So assessing excellence will all depend on what you value.

 

Perhaps we are looking at the wrong end of the shotgun. We are putting so much emphasis on everyone having a degree to qualify for specific ministries that we have to lower the standards to accommodate everyone. Let’s face it; not everyone is able to attain the level of scholarship that some propose. This results in some being eliminated from ministry. You can’t have it both ways. Not everyone needs a doctorate or even a M. Div. to pastor or do other ministry. There are good, competent pastors without any degree at all and there are those incompetents with or without degrees. On the other hand, one’s performance is determined more by the work ethic than the degree. What we need is a balanced view that accommodates all the factors.

 

paidagogos,
I agree with you. Seems we too easily get wrapped up in thinking educational credentials alone will get us by. I think education is not as important as equipping. Many are educated in ministry; few have been equipped for ministry.

Let me say that I am not against formal education (I have a few degrees of my own). I am, however, against the tendency to depend in a fleshly way on that education, rather than the Word, the Spirit, etc. I know that one CAN have the education and depend on God. Let's remember 1 Cor 2:1-5.

 

There is a trend, I think, for more local churches to do good, solid training for ministry. This seems to be the Biblical pattern although I am not against seminaries. IMHO, there appears to be a gulf between the training for the top church leadership and little or no training for other roles. Many Sunday School teachers, for example, have little or no Bible training. In some denominations, this results in the teacher simply reading from the Sunday School quarterly. I dislike the dichotomy between professional clergy and laity. Sometimes, it is the possession of a seminary degree that makes this breach. I find no NT prescription for this.

I would like to see the laity and lay leadership as well versed in the Scriptures as the “professional staff.” Degrees are not necessary but knowledge and understanding are. Would anyone care to comment?

 

Dr. Bob you are right the proof is in the pudding.