Seminary

"Despite recent trends, formal theological training still plays an important role in the evangelical church." - CToday

Bauder: The process of discipling a future leader into Christian ministry ... is always done better by the local church. Seminaries need churches even more than churches need seminaries

Christian Century: Until 1565, the local church was also the seminary.

"Fallacies of a Master’s Level Education: Almost every seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). If a seminary is ATS accredited, it must meet the ATS criteria. This is problematic in itself (ATS is ecumenical and liberal in its core). The criteria for the Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree minors on Biblical knowledge and majors on psychobabble, faith-community, mystical gobbledygook…and it always has."

Dan Wallace: For those who will be ministering to real people in the most personal way, how is it possible for the virtual classroom, taught by a virtual teacher to virtual students, to be as good as flesh-and-blood instruction?

The decision to close Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (BTSR) was gut-wrenching. It was also necessary.

Minneapolis Star Tribune (re local seminaries): Fewer entering seminary

"I am concerned that seminary focuses too little on discipleship and replaces it with scholarship. I am not against scholarship, but scholarship is a feeble substitute for biblical discipleship. A model of preparation for ministry based upon Jesus’ practice should seem a reasonable goal for educators with a high view of scripture." Can We Make Seminary More Effective?