What do you wish you would have learned?

Great Question!

I would have wanted more courses in finances and business procedures. Tennessee Temple did an excellent job in preparing me Biblically but I was unprepared for working on budgets, aplying to a bank for a bldg loan, etc.

I think another issue would have been supervising staff.

 

More about counseling and biblical Hebrew.

I did both in seminary but not enough. I see a need for both if I'm going to be a more competent pastor. I focused more on Greek in seminary.

 

I agree that Temple did a great job in preparing us Biblically. In retrospect, though, I am amazed that we didn't have to take a class in Baptist history and/or polity to graduate! That would have been a real help to me.

Another area that would have helped me is a class in church planting. But that's probably my own fault, not the fault of the school. Maybe I should have majored in missions instead of Bible.

 

The administrative aspects of pastoral ministry.

 

Conflict resolution - had seminars in Bible college, but still doesn't quite prepare you.

More Biblical languages - you can never get enough. Took languages at both Bible college and seminary level, but still, you can't take enough.

More training in pastoral care - had plenty and had experience, but again, you never get enough.

Sound training in pastoral leadership - There is much of this that's going on, but not a lot is practical, Biblical, and authentic.

All men of God should learn a skill or have a diploma/major/degree where they can be bivocational.

 

How to shoot lasers out of my eyes...that would be really helpful during a deacons meeting!:laugh:

I think more emphasis on counseling. It really is scary that you may do more of that than anything else (next to preaching) and it is the one subject that most seminaries only require one class to be taken in.