Online Vs. in-Person Education: Theological Training Is Supposed to Be Hard

At the end of the day - online education is a reality!

• If resident seminary education is the ideal AND if schools offering only resident education are correct in their critique that online education is defection for whatever the reasons …
• Online education is a reality!
  • It is working for some men!
  • And churches are calling those men
• I really doubt that online-education / resident education would even come up in an ordination council or church recognition council
• At the end of the day … men will make choices as they are lead of the Lord
• And that’s good enough for me

Update: Liberty has a full online MDiv. My guess is that their enrollment is greater than Faith’s, MBU’s, Detroit’s, Central’s & Virginia Beach’s combined

You make so much sense, it should be illegal! Agreed.

With regards to the actual difficulty and nature of suffering for Christ, one historical point of reference is that rabbinic training in the time of Christ is said to have been 12 years. In contrast, Jesus interacted with His disciples for three, and yet it was His disciples who faced crosses, executioners’ axes, and the like.

We might infer that, with reference to a central point of the article, that we ought not assume that various arbitrary points of difficulty in attending a particular seminary will be critical for that pastor’s development. Rather, we ought to assume what any good coach assumes in training his athletes; that there is training which is beneficial and appropriate, and there is another level of difficulty which is actually damaging.

For example, in my youthful sport of cross country, it was beneficial for the boys to ramp up to about 90-100 miles per week in August, followed by a decline through the season—and before the state meet, we’d be down to about 30-40 miles. For girls, somewhat less, and for either sex, going much higher, or even getting to this level without adequate preparation, was harmful. You’ll see the same thing in any other sport, and really any other endeavor.

So if we want to argue the superiority of local seminary, it’s not about (per Central) getting a job at FedEx to pay one’s way. It’s about the real experiences that are relevant to ministry.

It ought also to be noted—ahem, abyssmal pastoral pay scales, the “right boot of fellowship”—that perhaps living on SPAM and ramen in seminary might contribute to pastors being willing to suffer abuse from their churches instead of confronting it. Just sayin’. Might also contribute to pastors feeding that—if your academic career has been one of “suck it up for the Gospel”, guess what: you’re also likely to take that attitude into ministry. Plus, it’s going to generate pastors who fight like the dickens for their jobs, because quite frankly they were working “at FedEx” and not learning a trade they could ply outside church doors.

You wonder why we have so many nasty fights in our circles? Look at how we’re teaching, brothers.

And per Dave’s comment, the reality is that if fundamental seminaries really value the distinctions between their branches of fundamentalism and conservative evangelicalism, they’re going to need to have the online/remote option. There was a time when many would tolerate difficulty for the sake of difficulty; that time has, thankfully, gone.

And per Dave’s comment, the reality is that if fundamental seminaries really value the distinctions between their branches of fundamentalism and conservative evangelicalism, they’re going to need to have the online/remote option. There was a time when many would tolerate difficulty for the sake of difficulty; that time has, thankfully, gone.

Actually, this is already largely in place. BJU has an online program (several MA’s and an M.Div), as does Central. I didn’t see anything for DBTS, but I’m sure there’s something there. There may be other IFB (non-Conservative Evangelical) institutions out there that offer online coursework, but I’m hard pressed to think of someone else. IIRC, Calvary Lansdale was looking into this before they unfortunately had to close.

We might infer that, with reference to a central point of the article, that we ought not assume that various arbitrary points of difficulty in attending a particular seminary will be critical for that pastor’s development.

Herein I think you are responding to a different article. At no point were “arbitrary points of difficulty” a consideration. Nor was a “particular” seminary.

It ought also to be noted—ahem, abyssmal pastoral pay scales, the “right boot of fellowship”—that perhaps living on SPAM and ramen in seminary might contribute to pastors being willing to suffer abuse from their churches instead of confronting it. Just sayin’. Might also contribute to pastors feeding that—if your academic career has been one of “suck it up for the Gospel”, guess what: you’re also likely to take that attitude into ministry.

Or it might that pastors took the words of Jesus seriously about the importance of the gospel and the character qualities needed to pastor.

Oh - you’re right. Thanks for the correction, Josh!

The correct Central is at www.centralseminary.edu, for those inclined to check the link.

Check out Marantha’s on line offerings/

[Jay]

And per Dave’s comment, the reality is that if fundamental seminaries really value the distinctions between their branches of fundamentalism and conservative evangelicalism, they’re going to need to have the online/remote option. There was a time when many would tolerate difficulty for the sake of difficulty; that time has, thankfully, gone.

Actually, this is already largely in place. BJU has an online program (several MA’s and an M.Div), as does Central. I didn’t see anything for DBTS, but I’m sure there’s something there. There may be other IFB (non-Conservative Evangelical) institutions out there that offer online coursework, but I’m hard pressed to think of someone else. IIRC, Calvary Lansdale was looking into this before they unfortunately had to close.