Seminary

[kross]

I would like to know what the prevailing thought to this question is.

Is seminary Biblical?

I ask this question because it seems to me that seminary is the same as paying to be descipled. It also seems that the requirement to desciple has been tossed to seminaries instead of being done in the church.

Thus, the question.

[Iryssa]

I do agree that churches often leave the job of discipling to Bible Colleges and Seminaries, which is a fact that is VERY sad.

Discipleship is a wonderful thing, and you should be able to find it in both churches and Christian post-secondary institutions.

But while Discipleship is a very large part of what happens in a GOOD Christian post-secondary institution, it's not the ONLY thing (and that's a very important thing, don't get me wrong here!) that goes on there. Advanced training in Biblical subjects, as well as other practical subjects often needed in pastoral ministry (and other types of formal ministry, and in various careers not specific to church ministry). For instance, my Bible College offered courses in Biblical Interpretation, Marriage and Family Life (basically training to help pastors counsel families and also to help them lead Godly family lives) Ancient Greek and Hebrew, Psychology, Communications (covered a lot of public speaking and methods of organizing information in order to communicate it clearly) and even training in the arts (they had a VERY good and well-known music program until this new president cut it suddenly...but don't get me started on that). The professors at a good Bible College or seminary should have both sound Biblical knowledge and Christian experience to offer, as well any other practical tools their students may need (it's shocking to me how many of the students arrived unable to even write a complete sentence!)

You might be able to find a mentor who has some knowledge of proper Biblical Interpretation, and you could receive musical traning somewhere else, but why NOT do it at Bible College (might as well be using that money at a Christian school as any)? I can also say with some confidence that the average mentor will not be giving you instruction on reading and interpreting Ancient Hebrew (and the pastors I've known have often used that kind of knowledge quite a lot in their sermon preparations, for instance)

Now let me just mention that this kind of training does not replace a calling to ministry. But such a calling does not mean that one SHOULDN'T seek this kind of traning, either. It would be nice to believe that people could get this training for free elsewhere, but I'm afraid our modern society doesn't often make that possible. Jewish men almost always had (and many probably still do have) a VERY good knowledge of the laws and prophets...it's sad to me just how much of that people lack these days. Paul had a VERY extensive education, and while it didn't happen at a Seminary, a Seminary may well be the closest thing our modern society has to offer to what he got.

[kross]

I do agree that churches often leave the job of discipling to Bible Colleges and Seminaries, which is a fact that is VERY sad.

Discipleship is a wonderful thing, and you should be able to find it in both churches and Christian post-secondary institutions.

But while Discipleship is a very large part of what happens in a GOOD Christian post-secondary institution, it's not the ONLY thing (and that's a very important thing, don't get me wrong here!) that goes on there. Advanced training in Biblical subjects, as well as other practical subjects often needed in pastoral ministry (and other types of formal ministry, and in various careers not specific to church ministry). For instance, my Bible College offered courses in Biblical Interpretation, Marriage and Family Life (basically training to help pastors counsel families and also to help them lead Godly family lives) Ancient Greek and Hebrew, Psychology, Communications (covered a lot of public speaking and methods of organizing information in order to communicate it clearly) and even training in the arts (they had a VERY good and well-known music program until this new president cut it suddenly...but don't get me started on that). The professors at a good Bible College or seminary should have both sound Biblical knowledge and Christian experience to offer, as well any other practical tools their students may need (it's shocking to me how many of the students arrived unable to even write a complete sentence!)

You might be able to find a mentor who has some knowledge of proper Biblical Interpretation, and you could receive musical traning somewhere else, but why NOT do it at Bible College (might as well be using that money at a Christian school as any)? I can also say with some confidence that the average mentor will not be giving you instruction on reading and interpreting Ancient Hebrew (and the pastors I've known have often used that kind of knowledge quite a lot in their sermon preparations, for instance)

Now let me just mention that this kind of training does not replace a calling to ministry. But such a calling does not mean that one SHOULDN'T seek this kind of traning, either. It would be nice to believe that people could get this training for free elsewhere, but I'm afraid our modern society doesn't often make that possible. Jewish men almost always had (and many probably still do have) a VERY good knowledge of the laws and prophets...it's sad to me just how much of that people lack these days. Paul had a VERY extensive education, and while it didn't happen at a Seminary, a Seminary may well be the closest thing our modern society has to offer to what he got.

I was mentored by a good pastor. I learned all I needed about music in High school.

Discipleship includes training in all the areas you have mentioned. Why not stay in your home church, keep a job, and be disciple for the same amount of years that you would spend at seminary, put that money to use in your church and in your life.

I know that seminary has become such a part of the training you speak of, but it is not something I find in the Bible. Apprenticeship, discipleship, even the idea of working in the institution that is where you apprentice, is in the Bible. But not the structure that is seminary.

Still, your points are valid and i thank you for your input

[Smalcald]

A good Christian college system is part of the Church.

Scripture says that the men who are ministers should be able to teach, to do that particularly in today's world I think it is important to have a grounded Christian education, to able to know apologetics, to know at least a little about the ancient languages used to write scripture and so forth. Also they are a good tool to weed out people who are not really committed to serve.

However I do not believe that everyone who is a minister has to go to a seminary college.

[Iryssa]

I was mentored by a good pastor. I learned all I needed about music in High school.

That's really great! And I wish I could say that that was the norm, but that's not what I've found. For one thing, my high school music/band teacher hardly taught a thing

But yeah, I don't think most people entering into ministry have had the benefit of being mentored by a pastor who took the time to teach them everything they need to know...which I do think is a sad thing! If only everyone could have received that kind of training from such a mentor! I just think that most people who couldn't find it in an informal setting like you did should at least be given the opportunity to find it in a formal post-secondary institute of Biblical learning.

[Leonard]

I think no one should be in Seminary who is not already thoroughly discipled. The process of discipling is NOT the mission of Seminary in any way, shape or form. If any Seminary claims that is what they do, I would avoid that Seminary.

[Guest shiloh357]

I think no one should be in Seminary who is not already thoroughly discipled. The process of discipling is NOT the mission of Seminary in any way, shape or form. If any Seminary claims that is what they do, I would avoid that Seminary.

Very true. Seminary is for the preparation of those entering the ministry. Discipleship is the responsibility of the local church.

[EricH]

I think no one should be in Seminary who is not already thoroughly discipled. The process of discipling is NOT the mission of Seminary in any way, shape or form. If any Seminary claims that is what they do, I would avoid that Seminary.

Very true. Seminary is for the preparation of those entering the ministry. Discipleship is the responsibility of the local church.

Agreed.

[kross]

I think no one should be in Seminary who is not already thoroughly discipled. The process of discipling is NOT the mission of Seminary in any way, shape or form. If any Seminary claims that is what they do, I would avoid that Seminary.

Very true. Seminary is for the preparation of those entering the ministry. Discipleship is the responsibility of the local church.

Agreed.

Is there a Biblical foundation or is that just the worldliness of Christianity today?

I just can't see Paul raising up churches and then telling the leaders he mentored that they needed to get more training at their own expense before they can lead.

Edited September 9, 2008 by kross

[damo1]

i had this problem to but my views have changed my fiancee is a filapino pastor i have signed up to a free seminary school i am doing a free minister trainning course due to my committment over seas i wil not sign up to hill song as i was looking at hill song

when i was a young christian i strugled with the idea of paying some one when its the churches responsabilty god put good godly men around me and these godly men god had put around me encouraged me sat with me listened to my concerns and prayed over me so mentoring did not hurt me and know i do the same when i am asked to mentor a young person

i am starting to see how hard pastors work my fiancee and the pastors under her work hard but what they do is disciple christians from with in as a lot of our members are poor also our members would not be able to afford to go to a seminary school

what my fiancee and the pastors working under her do is this they will equip any one who is seriouse and wants to disciple others not many churches do this as these days we have seminary schools that can do this its as if the pastors and leaders will not give up there free time to raise the body also new christians are discipled this is how we do it in the philippines we wil do this on saturday as most of our members work through the week we open up the main church in bacolod at 6am and we close the church at 9pm the other pastors working under my fiancee do the same thing

the disciples had jesus he did not charge them or did he say what i am going to teach you you will have to pay up front first when he said come follow me they gave up there normal jobs they left their familys and look what they were able to acheive

i am though going to question the mob i have connected with as i want to find out if there certificate is recognized as hill song and the seminary school my fiancee went through

also i am going to be raised from with in once my citazenship is approved for me to live in the philippines my fiance and one of the male pastors are working close with me when i am not working abroad and i am spending time with my fiancee i am allowed to preach i am allowed to counsel i wil be running the youth group i met with our young people as i am a stranger to them they have known my fiancee since they were young i also asked the young people what they wanted and how they wanted the youth service run

also i am having to get to know all our members and the pastors and the deakons and the worship team plus we have a school set up in the main churches grounds so i am having to get to know the teachers and the students i am having to depend on god to help me remember all the members names i met the members i was taken to the 5 churches and i met the pastors under my fiancee she is the head pastor

we have 5 churches planted and we are looking at planting a 6th church

a lot diffrent from just sitting and listenning to the pastor preach i am able to know see what goes on

but when i am back in Australia and working abroad i have no role in the church i attend i made it clear to the pastors that my committment is to my fiancee and what we are doing in our churches but i do share when i am asked

i hear were kross is comming from and its an honest question

i had to give what i was feeling over to god i had to ask god to forgive me

God bless from damo