Comments on: On the Dangers of Seminary (Pt. 3): The Danger of Allowing Seminary to Replace Church

By: Bruce Ashford

Bruce Ashford — Mon, 25 May 2009 21:30:19 +0000

Eric, great questions. it certainly is a good thing to be able to pastor while in seminary. However, if a seminary student has never been actively involved in his church as a lay person, he would greatly benefit from doing so before becoming a pastor. That’s my $0.02.

By: Monday on the Links « Small Groups Guy

Monday on the Links « Small Groups Guy — Mon, 25 May 2009 14:53:38 +0000

[...] On the Danger’s of Seminary (by one of our SummitLIFE group coaches Bruce Ashford): This is a great post on the local church and really isnt just for seminary students. [...]

By: Eric S

Eric S — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:24:22 +0000

I can get you a great rate on that camel. I know a guy…

By the way, I appreciate the 250 lbs of steel comment. I need to have Dawn start reading this blog.

What is your take on serving in the pastorate during seminary verses serving as a church member (understanding, of course, that a pastor is a member of his church…but you know what I mean)? Do you see any advantages or benefits to one over the other or have you not noticed a difference? I’ve know some guys who HAVE to have a church to pastor and others who want to stay far from it during those years. My whole family (kids included) will be camped out around the laptop waiting for your response.

Keep the great content coming!

By: Bruce Ashford

Bruce Ashford — Thu, 21 May 2009 11:30:23 +0000

Jerry, you are right. Some students play “musical chairs” with church and hurt themselves in the long run. Usually the problem is perfectionism (can’t find a church that ‘fits me’), snobbery (can’t find preaching good enough), or maybe just a consumer mentality.

Eric, thanks for adding to the discussion. I had the same experience. There are things that I have learned in my church that I could never learn in another context. As for your comment about FCA… Listen, I don’t care if you ARE 6′6″ and 250 lbs of steel. Don’t make me come across that ocean. I’ll beat you like a rented camel…

By: Eric S

Eric S — Thu, 21 May 2009 09:19:33 +0000

Bruce,

Very good post. I came to Christ in college, so my experience has a slightly different context than does yours, but I am so thankful for the local church that ministered to me. I was immediately involved in a college Bible study, served wherever I could (I remember thinking that I was on par with Billy Graham the first time I was asked to carry an offering plate), and, most influential, a family basically took me in and became my spiritual mom and dad so to speak. As I brand new believer I learned many theological lessons in those days, but more importantly I learned ecclesiological lessons. After seminary I may know the difference between terms like theological and ecclesiological (which I didn’t then), but I never learned in a class room what I learned in those days.

One more thing…how were you a co-captain for your FCA in college? I thought that stood for Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Sorry…low-blow.

By: Jerry

Jerry — Thu, 21 May 2009 02:36:56 +0000

During my tenure at SWBTS in the mid-1980’s I learned as much in our local church under the mentorship of a godly pastor than I did in the classroom. This is not to knock my seminary training, but instead is a testimony to the importance of the local church.

There were enough other students who were never planted in a local congregation, preferring instead to visit around at the churches having special speakers, etc. that SWBTS instituted a policy of requiring students to get a local church recommendation each semester.

By: deekdubberly.com » Blog Archive » Christians Are Supposed to Go to Church?

Thu, 21 May 2009 01:54:15 +0000

[...] his series, “On the Dangers of Seminary,” with perhaps the best installment yet, “The Danger of Allowing Seminary to Replace Church.” This series is featured on SEBTS’s Between the Times blog. The first post can be read here [...]