My former pastor, under whose ministry I came to salvation and responded to my ministry call, used to say that preachers needed the burning and the learning, the inspiration and education, the celebration and information. What he meant was that as preachers, pastors, and teachers in ministry we should have both the desire that comes from an abiding sense of call, and intentional theological development. In recent years, I’ve come to notice that theological education has become an unimportant accomplishment for those expressing a call into vocational ministry. I find this widening trend both unfortunate and dangerous for the health and future of the Church. The mission of the local church, and ultimately universal Church is far too important to be entrusted to the ignorant, ill-equipped, and uninformed. The logical end of this trend is continuing doctrinal error, false teaching, heresy, and the leading astray of countless multitudes.
Historically, there have always been movements within the Church that have considered intentional, formal theological education unnecessary, and in some cases a hindrance to effective ministry. In my development, I had to endure comments that called seminary the “cemetery”, and other derogatory comments. This was a small thing to endure, to make sure that I gained as many of the tools that would aid me as a preacher, pastor, and ministry leader.
Some of you are thinking as you read this, the Holy Spirit is my teacher. The Spirit of God is a prerequisite for living a Christian life, and absolutely needed for effective ministry service. It is he, who convicts of sin, calls to service, and provides the required “abiding sense of call”–the burning that doesn’t dissipate. Without the aid of the Spirit of God, we cannot preach, teach, lead, or minister effectively. The Spirit of God imbues the ministry leader with the power that becomes clear in public ministry situations. I cannot, do not, and would not deny the power of the Holy Spirit in my life as a ministry leader.
I must also say that God desires us, saints and those saints who lead in ministry, to always strive to be the best we can possibly be. We should want to be equipped in every way possible. This want, or burning, should lead us to desire learning. Those freshly called into ministry should be running to discover what they need to be effective. These runs should be to formal, intentional forums of ministry training. This training can be as formal as Bible colleges, seminaries, or universities. This development can also be effectively obtained through intentional, structured, denominational, or church-based theological education. While seminary or university education is the choice of many, there are other viable options to get the needed ministerial development. Now, I am by no means endorsing any particular institution (although I have attended several that I would highly recommend), but if God has given you a desire to enter vocational ministry, the desire for development as a minister should go with it.
One more piece to this rant. A renewed desire for intentional theological education will, I can only pray, stem the current tide of extra-biblical, un-biblical, error prone, flavor of the month, making up things that aren’t in the Bible, ear-tickling, ego-driven preaching and teaching that is far too prevalent in the contemporary church. We do not stand to tell what is on our mind’s, what we believe they want to hear, what will make them put more in the offering, or what we think will make more people attend our churches, but to articulate the message of God to his people. This isn’t a joke or a business people! I’m not mad, I’m just tired of the nonsense. Stay blessed.