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What I Learned In Seminary
My opinions about seminary are mixed. Unquestionably, the schools I attended shaped my views. To give context, I studied one year at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and three at Philips Theological Seminary.
(My United Methodist district superintendent approved SWBT then after a year said he made a mistake. I chose Philips since it was the only UMC approved school within driving distance.)
Although I’m don’t believe all pastors must obtain a seminary degree, I did acquire some knowledge and skills that were valuable. Here are a few of the things I’m thankful for:
- Seminary taught me to read fast and absorb a lot of information. (Many classes required us to read a book a week.) Speed-reading has made a huge difference in my life and ministry.
- Hebrew was helpful to me. (What I know about Greek I picked up on my own.)
- Seminary taught me to be a better writer. At Phillips, we rarely took tests. Most classes required a lot of writing. This skill has helped me minister to people in ways I couldn’t otherwise.
- The history courses were helpful. I was especially inspired by Moody, Finney, Wesley, and Whitfield. I also was moved by studying Medieval Christianity. Knowing how God used people in the past helps give me a broader perspective of what He could do today.
- I learned why I believed what I believed. At Philips, many professors had a very liberal theology and looked down on conservatives. They tested my faith often and helped me to become more grounded than I would have been otherwise.
- I made some very good friends in school.
How about you?
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I’d be interested to know a seminary or two that you would recommend.
I would totally agree with what was learned at Seminary. I really enjoyed Hebrew, though I should know both languages better than I do. Some good friends and the reading and writing were both improved, definitely. I would add that it did give me a period of time to really search out God and seek to be in His will. I went to Concordia Seminary in St. Louis (a Lutheran seminary). The education was good but it lack modern applications in many of the practical courses.
I received my M.Div from Baptist Bible Graduate School of Theology in Spfld, MO. I really enjoyed Graduate school because I learned why I believed what I was taught in undergrad. I also learned how to think through other opinions and resort back to seeing what the bible really says. It gave me some great tools to bible study (Hebrew, Greek, syntax, theology, etc.) and with a focus on counseling, the application part as well.
I really enjoyed learning from guys who lived out godly living and practiced what they taught by also being pastors of churches in the community.
I’m sorry that your United Methodist district approved one school and then told you later that it wouldn’t work. I understand that each denomination wants to send people to a particular set of schools (not to brainwash them but to ensure that all pastors have the necessary theological training to be in ministry), but to not be clear about that from the get-go is a waste of both your money and your time (and it sounds like the district did not do their research in advance!).
To “amen” your #5 & #6 reasons, the diverse, yet committed, community that you find in seminary is an experience that all Christian leaders should spend three years doing. I find myself both challenged and affirmed by the students & professors; seminary should expose us to a diverse mix of ethnicities, races, genders, denominations, and languages. Worshiping and learning alongside the same group of people cements God-oriented relationships. The women and men that you meet in seminary can (and should) provide a network of support in the years after you finish.
Kurt asked for some recommendations. Maybe you can tell him about some especially effective seminaries.
God is using the second season of my life to call me from a corporate technology role into full time ministry. In our denomination, ordination requires a M.Div. So..I’m leveraging my engineering degree as a launch point and starting seminary at 46. I’ve bypassed the denomination’s traditional seminary choices and have chosen an ecumenical and multi-racial seminary. As Craig noted, I want to ground what I believe and understand why, while learning about many other faith traditions. I pray that this education allows me to be better prepared to spread the Gospel to a generation hungry to know God.
SWBTS?! And to think you could have been Southern Baptist….man, we let a good one slip away:)
One of the primary things I learned was how to find resources and help when I need it. I am amazed at how many church members are unaware of what is available to them out there. Bible college and seminary helped me see the world as a library.
Chris
A SBC pastor in NC
In the MDIV program at Asbury Theological Seminary, I had classes in managing a growing church (using many concepts from the business world), counseling (including a heavy dose of family systems that has been HUGE in helping me understand the way the church family works), using technology effectively in ministry, missions, church history, tons of biblical studies, etc. Every class was taught by someone who believes the Bible is God’s inspired word, and that knowledge must be coupled with life transformation.
Seminary was a big sacrifice of time, cash, and convenience (moving to another state), but I’d go back and do it all over again even if there wasn’t a degree involved. The learning was that good. But you have to go to a good school.
Kurt,
Some to consider are:
Columbia International University (interdenominatal in S.C., where I went to Bible college, they have a graduate school as well, GREAT school) and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (in N.C., where I’m currently pursuing an M.Div., definitely baptist but a GREAT school as well)
Friends in ministry was one of the biggest. I still keep up with the 5 guys I was closest to in Seminary.
Systematic Theology and Hermeneutics helped me understand the Bible better & challenged me to think.
John, that’s awesome! I’m also an engineer, virtually the same age, and recently enrolled in seminary. I’m not looking for a career change but am preparing early for a new career when retired, as well as learning to serve and lead better as a volunteer now. Old school advice to people going to seminary to decide what you believe then pick a school that matches/teaches the same. I like your approach of challenging yourself and your thinking better.
What am I learning and thankful for in seminary so far?
- Getting a far better understanding of the ‘why’ behind what I believe (agreeing with Craig and others here)
- Making a lot of friends and connections with other people in ministry across the country. I hate traditional ‘networking’ but this is different.
- The things I’m learning in class I’m putting immediately into practice in my church - for me seminary and ministry go best together. The questions I bring to the table are real-world concerns.
- I’m learning to communicate for change and to motivate (quite a difference from the technical writing I’ve been doing for years)
- Like Craig, I learned Greek and History on my own and would prefer to take classes where discussion adds huge value to the learning.
- The most exciting thing I’ve learned came in the first class: a better understanding of God’s unique design for my life and the tools to take charge of my own development, putting together a learning plan based on areas I need to strengthen for growth and more effective ministry.
I’m at Rockbridge Seminary which is 100% online, and would recommend anyone thinking about seminary check it out.
Craig,
I’ve been wanting to move away from standing behind the pulpit on stage while I preach. I watched one of your video podcasts recently, and it looks like you’ve got your notes organized right in your Bible within some kind of sleeves. I’m guessing it probably isn’t something you learned at Seminary, but could you share how you do that? I’ve got to start toying with some different approaches and lock in to something that works for me… Thanks!
Yesterday a guy mentioned Rock Bridge Seminary during his comment. I am wondering if anyone is familiar with this seminary and if so what are your thoughts. Thanks…
Larry, I just saw your comment could you tell me more about rockbridge…
My prof said, it is in community that you have the full gifts of the Spirit in which allows you to know God more. That’s why there is church. Seminary challenged me and grew my knowledge for Scripture.
I wish I had the same seminary experience you did. I made the SWBTS mistake which was compounded by a president change that basically threw the seminary into a tailspin. All “liberals” were dismissed as well as women. I felt like I was being told “here’s what you have to believe, here’s your opinion.”
I enjoyed one class which was a seminar style class by one of the last holdouts to the purge the president was conducting. He was forced to retire the following year. Lucky for me, my calling is as a Worship and Communications pastor so the Greek (I made a D) and Hebrew (I enjoyed my female professor who was later fired) were not a necessity. I learned some History but dropped out after 2 years. I will probably not finish. Why should I?
Great discussion. I am a 27 years old. I married at 18. I had my first child at 20. Became pastor of a small country church at 21. I now have 3 kids and pastor in a rural area in southwest Oklahoma. It has been a grind learning to preach, working out my theology, ecclesiology….the list goes on. I am thankful for the resources of several pastors and churches such as Craig and Lifechurch. It has been tough to do this without a “formal” eductation, but…my question is… I couldn’t imagine having all of that debt that it would take for me to go to school that many years and raise this family and not become a slave to the lender. If God sent me to school now I would certainly go and would trust Him alone for all I would need. I’m just wondering, is there a major financial burden and/or a struggle with being faithful to God calling us to plant a church or lead a church that cannot afford much yet for salary? Any stories of how God provided? Any stories of struggle and victory?
Hi Zac - that may have been me yesterday. I came back today to learn what Craig had to say and liked his new question. Rockbridge Seminary has a good website (http://www.rockbridgeseminary.org/) but basically they are a 100% online, non-denominational seminary with classes organized around a five-purpose paradigm. They offer an M.Div., a Master of Ministry Leadership, and a Diploma in Ministry Studies. These take about 2-3 years as you take one course at a time. The interaction with prof and other students is via an online classroom - mostly forums thought there is occasionally chat too. Otherwise it’s typical stuff, lots of reading, writing, plus doing practical ministry projects. I already have a PhD in engineering, but found the level of interaction between students was higher than my face to face education. They emphasize students demonstrating mastery of ministry competencies. This is shown not via tests but with projects done in your local church or ministry, along with a required local mentor. They are not yet accredited but have been working on that for a while and are pretty far along in the process so that should come before much longer. If you have any more questions feel free to ask via my blog or twitter (@ltbaxter). Co-founder Sam Simmons is another good person to ask (@onlineseminary). I have no connection with them other than being an excited student. — Larry
I went to seminary because God told me to go. To me it was a matter of obedience. This made it easier to stick in there when I was tired of Greek flash cards and philosophy classes. Seminary provided some great tools for knowing where to go when developing a sermon and a few friends that I connected with on a heart level.
Seminary also taught me about denominational politics and where ministry can end up if not focused on the gospel and reaching the lost. I am grateful for my time there and the thing I learned.
Is seminary necessary? If God is leading you there absolutely, if you can avoid seminary and be obedient praise God.
I love the topic. When considering seminary at age 39 I was often asked “what do you want to get out of it?”. This question can have quite an impact on where you decide to go.
For me, I was fortunate to be one of the last in Willow Creek’s Church Leadership Development Program. This program utilized seminary from Bethel’s InMInistry track. I liked being “in ministry” while studying as it provided a lot of applications at my fingertips. This was a distance program with 4 weeks of on-campus classes per year.
Bethel’s MA in Transformational Leadership was a great mix of theology and leadership. I really enjoyed Biblical studies, hermeneutics, systems theory, and the leadership classes were engaging. I learned to read FAST, construct my thoughts by writing a lot (papers and postings), and I had my theology broadened, shaped and strengthened by learning other views,engaging them, and defending my conclusions.
On the downside, there may be a deconstruction period for those attending seminary. This is where all many of your preconceived notions get damaged and destroyed. It can be rather unsettling for many, but in the end it can be wonderful refining process. Making friends who are sharing your journey is huge. I still keep in contact with many and I have learned, grown, and gone deep with them.
My recommendation is to check out Columbia International University. The emphasize the authority of Scripture, victorious Christian living, and have a heart for the world. They are also a host site for the Leadership Summit - it was good to see you again at the Summit Craig!
it’s just amazing how God encourages me right on time!
i’m currently taking my MDiv… lately, i’ve been getting kind of lost with this school thing… but reading how seminary has helped everyone of you is just encouraging!
If you’re looking for a great seminary, I highly recommend Rockbridge Seminary Online (http://www.rockbridgeseminary.org/). I’m working towards my MDiv and have found it to be very practical in meeting day-to-day ministry objectives. Everything is done in a way to supplement you as a leader as well as a learner.
I went to Asbury Seminary and appreciated it greatly. I think you’ve got a good list, Craig. My list would be similar in theme: (1) learned much about how to learn, (2) learned how to think through things biblically, theologically, and missionally, (3) provided a firm starting point for growth in ministry, and (4) the content was good, but learned more method (how to think) than dogma (what to think), while doing so in the context of a seminary with a clear orthodox/evangelical statement of faith.
In my view, seminary has much potential to enhance one’s ministry significantly, but is neither a guarantee of effectiveness nor a requirement for effectiveness.
TJ–
You and I were at Southwestern at the same time - during the presidential turnover, etc. I stuck with it, through 2 kids, 3 states (moving), and 5 years of full/part time education.
I would have to echo Russell. Be obedient to God. If he tells you to go - then go, quickly, and unwaveringly (is that a word?). But, if you’re going just because - it may not be a great experience for you. I’m glad I went. I’m more glad I’m done.
The things I enjoyed the most were the reflective writings - where I was able to synthesize what I’ve learned and form my own personal belief system. I enjoyed the history and archaeology. I did not enjoy the “doctrinal focuses” of many of the classes. I know why they were focused on “Baptist Doctrine” - it is a Baptist school. I get that. It was just the part I liked the least.
For those of you looking - I again recommend looking at Rockbridge. The President not only has a cool name (Daryl) but also was the Dean of the Education school when I was at SWBTS. He’s a great guy and passionate about making the Seminary experience great.
Cheers, –DW (Just another Daryl…)
After spending some time on the West Coast with a few Trinity grads I kinda wish I would have gone there.
I guess it depends on what you want to do as a pastor. I am in the inMinistry program at Bethel and loving it. I think they do a great job of balancing the educational side of things with the personal formation and spiritual direction. I think it is very important for Pastor’s to always be learning one way or another. SO for me the natural way was attending a seminary that will help me be a better teacher of the bible! And just reading it on the surface without studying the context and culture of the bible will leave everyone wanting in the truth of the scriptures in my opinion. I believe the bible is true and alive for today, but I also think we can get a little crazy with our interpretations just because they make us feel better, when in all actuality the author of scripture nor God never meant for those 8 verses to mean that… not pointing to any set of verses but I think all sorts of destructive theology is within the church because of dishonest interpretation… some of this is just human nature, and some is due to lack of education! Don’t get me wrong, the knowledge is not the answer, but the tools to study and know the bible better are the essentials!
Peace
Seminary gave me life long friends. I got a good education through my professors and seeing politics in denominational life. The best education I received was in the small church that I served for 2 1/2 years while in Seminary.
I’m a staff member of a young church in Switzerland.
I work here since 2006, not full time. I’m leading the programming and video team and I preach about once a month on sunday.
I got married last year and with my wife (who is also working for the church) we are going to Hillsong Leadership College in the Pastoral Leadership stream next year. We decided by ourselves because we want to learn as much as possible to serve the church the most.
What do you think of this choice?
I learned a ton about the Bible. Craig Blomberg rocks! I learned interesting a good bit about theology. I greatly enjoyed and learned much about church history. I like the rare characters like Gerte Grote and Jon Amos Comenius.
My critical thinking skills were greatly honed. My writing skills were improved. At least I learned something beyond the technical skills I got in my undergrad program.
Yes, I learn to speed read. I started seminary able to read a book every two months or so and ended with the ability and the freedom to skim two a day. I also learned that there are a lot a really bad/meaningless books published, but the good ones are so very valuable.
And I learned my Myers-Briggs profile (3 times) and DiSC leadership style (2 times). I’m a DI.