I entered into seminary at the AWKNG School of Theology as a newly married twenty-two year old lacking the necessary Bible and theology knowledge needed to help lead others. I also lacked ministry skills and experience. Seminary, for me, was a necessary training ground, and a needed formative experience so that the coming years of…
All posts tagged seminary
5 Takeaways From Seminary After Graduating in 5.5 Years
This past Friday I walked across the stage, shook the hands of some professors, and celebrated the end of a very long journey. This journey started in the summer of 2007 when I decided to enroll at Multnomah Biblical Seminary in the Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies program. Five and a half years later,…
How My Pastor Saved My Faith Without Even Trying
Today’s post comes from a great writer and author, Ed Cyzewski. If you’re interested in guest posting on this blog, head here for more information. — The last thing my pastor told me before I left for seminary saved my faith. I think he was just trying to save me from having a rough time…
The Three
1. Margaret Feinberg wrote on the Catalyst blog about various techniques that have been used by pastors for many years to help overcome burning out. I found the post to be a great encouragement and reminder that avoiding burnout is my responsibility and it takes establishing a well thought out system of disciplines that keep…
Formation over Memorization of Information
As my semester of seminary has finally finished I’ve been doing some thinking about the value of it all. I sit in class for hours on end each week listening to lectures while taking notes, engaging in discussion around issues of the Bible, church ministry, culture, and theology, and I wonder what the true value…
The Double Standard Pastors Have With Seminary
In the various conversations and discussions I’ve been in over the last few years I’ve found it common for pastors to speak about the valuable role their seminary education played in their formation and then also state their opinion about its lack of importance for other people serving at their church in a pastoral role.…