5 Reasons I Appreciated Seminary

Sam — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:00:17 +0000

I know that not going to seminary is coming back into fashion with many Christians, while others are arguing for their own seminary-esque training. I thought it might be helpful to share with you 5 things I got out of my time at seminary.

Knowledge of Theology

Of course a major part of getting a masters degree in theology will be to study and
learn about theology. As many people would assume, I came out of my time at seminary with a much deeper understanding of the Bible and Theology.

Knowledge of History

What you might not realize is that seminary also requires a number of church history classes. Understanding the history of the church is a very important part of being a pastor. As Anthony Bradley recently noted over in World Magazine, the protestant church is in large part detached from its history, and that is causing alot of problems. We have to relearn that the Christian faith is an old faith, and there are countless events which have shaped our faith at the beginning of this century. Faith that is detached from its history is going to suffer.

Examples of Older Pastors

A prerequisite to become a professor at my seminary (RPTS) was that you had to have previously served as a pastor in a local church. This meant that for three years I was surrounded by some really good examples of older and wiser pastors. Of course there were things that I disagreed with, and of course not every professor was equally gifted at being a pastor, but it was a great time of learning by example.

A Safe Place to Ask Hard Questions

One of the things I appreciated more than anything else was that in seminary I never felt liked there were topics that we couldn’t talk about, or questions that we couldn’t ask. I came out of seminary with a much deeper and nuanced understanding of my faith. This has allowed me to help other people with questions they have about their faith. I’ve realized you can’t help people who are wrestling with their faith if you have never wrestled with your own.

Tools to Learn

There is no way that I could learn everything necessary to be a pastor in my three short years of seminary. But I did learn how to learn. In those three years I became equipped at using the tools necessary to be a pastor. I know how to study and apply God’s word in a variety of situations and I’ve learned where to go when new questions arise.

Everything Changes, Yet Remains the Same.

Sam — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 22:33:43 +0000

All Europe is coming across the ocean, all that part at least that cannot make a living at home, and what should we do with them they increase our taxes, eat our bread, and encumber our streets and not one in 20 is competent to keep himself.

New York Resident Philip Holme 1840’s.