[I know this post is a bit off topic from "biblical roles," but I feel that the assessment of marriage and parenting is an important element for a future pastor. Thanks for reading.]
My wife and I got married and two weeks after our wedding we moved to seminary. We enjoyed it and it provided a great context as we took classes together and developed many nuances of our theology as we read to each other and talked through class topics and assignments.
During and after seminary a dilemma often went through my mind. I loved my seminary and the days I was there. I loved and still love many of the professors there, but I saw a missing link in how the individual students were assessed. I don't think my seminary was the only one missing this assessment, but it is the only one I have been around.
I remember sitting in class and getting to know students who I thought "Wow, I'm not sure that guy is called to ministry, his marriage seems like it is a mess and his parenting seems nothing like that of the qualification for an elder." Yet, the guy would graduate and because he had his M.Div degree he would get a job as a pastor at a church. They may think that the seminary assessed the guy and the seminary would assume that the sending church (the one that recommended the guy to go to seminary) assessed the guy, but in fact NO ONE assessed him.
So, here is the dilemma. If a seminary begins to assess guys and say, "You know, I really don't think you are called to ministry" or "Your marriage shows you don't even meet the 1 Timothy 3 qualifications for ministry" then the seminary loses students. If the seminary loses students the seminary loses money. If the seminary loses money, the professors lose jobs. If professors lose the jobs, who will do the assessing?
Well, you can tell it is a bit of a mess...or at least a dilemma. Biblically, the church should do the assessing. The seminary technically should not have to do ALL of the assessing, but the seminary student should be thoroughly assessed before he is in school there. However, how does the cycle stop. Who begins doing the assessing?
I think the answer is that both the churches and the seminaries need to assess and be honestly willing to tell a guy "no." Christ is building his church and he desires pastors who have good marriages and good parenting skills to lead his church. Anything less is a compromise. Anything less does not guard a local church who is seeking to hire a new seminary graduate. So, what will be done and who will do it?
6 comments:
I was talking about this just yesterday with a friend here in Louisville. The 100% acceptance policy may not be the way to go. Who is the standard - where is the mentoring by the profs of all students? Anyway, liked your thoughts - and if there is ever an answer - I'd be glad to know it.
I think the responsibility lies with the church to check the life of the pastor in addition to his doctrine. Seminaries are really in no position to evaluate a student's life much further than their academic performance. Our church here in Knoxville apparently doesn't ordain pastors until they've been on staff for at least five years.
On the other hand, it's useful for a seminary to recognize their role in conjunction with the churches where students are living their lives. Gordon-Conwell requires a pastoral recommendation before they will accept a new student, and has practical ministry experience requirements, which include evaluations by mentors who are themselves in ministry. I assume many seminaries do the same.
I think we should leave room for grace and the power of God to change people too...And just because a guy's life is a mess doesn't mean he's not called to ministry though timing may be an issue. Wouldn't it make more sense to assess people and if they are truly called to then help them find freedom in areas of marriage etc.? I think sometimes we write people off too easily, then we have people in ministry who seem to have it all together and are just self-righteous legalists..pretty on the outside but dead man's bones on the inside. A very thought provoking post! What seminary did you go to? Cool your wife got to take classes as well, I'm sure it provided lots of good conversation starters!
I'm not sure whether to wish you the wish that God grants you perfect and obedient teenage children or to wish you the wish that God grants you a congregation that will help your future teenagers to learn from the mistakes and rebellion that are manifestly a normal part of being a teenager. The latter seems a lot more healthy to me than the former.
My denomination is rather top-down. We are sent by the denomination to theology college and mutual discernment begins about a year before attending college, during college and after college. Evaluation is done by congregations, lay leaders, ordained ministers and health professionals. People you know very well and people you just met. Lots of input over a period of at least 5 years. Goodness knows it's not a perfect system but it does seem to weed out those who are truly incompetent and those who are power-hungry.
Hey everyone,
Thanks for the comments...it does seem that some seminaries are addressing this and others are not. I found it interesting that Mark Dever's 9Marks newsletter asked the same questions when it came out on Monday. Here is the link:
http://www.9marks.org/CC/article/0,,PTID314526%7CCHID598014%7CCIID2463176,00.html
Great post.
As a seminary graduate, I'd have to totally agree with what you said. I was amazed, shocked, and concerned with some people there. Kyle mentioned that seminaries require a pastoral recommendation, and that is where the problem lies. Many pastors, elders, and church leaders are not willing to point out glaring character problems. If that pastor does, the person can usually find another pastor to sign off.
Bibically there is no seminary, since the seminary is an extention of the church. But over time the connection has eroded and there is little connection left. I've heard Al Mohler say more than once, "Don't send anyone to our seminary that you wouldn't hire at your church." You'd think that goes without saying, but it doesn't. My former church sent two people out that the pastor told me we'd never hire. It is very common.
And responding to Jul- I agree that a problem may not mean the person isn't called, but I do believe that 1 Tim 3 would disqualify him for that season of life. It says that a man must manage his household well, and the logic is that if a man can't lead his family, how can he lead God's family? But it's not for a professor to make that call, it's for the church.
I believe that the connection between the church and seminary is at fault. The seminary is an extention of the church and the connection must be reestablished.
I'm not saying this as some guy on a high horse. I'm saying this as a guy who graduated from seminary, served in ministry for 11 years, and stepped out because I wasn't leading my family well. It's what I believe 1 Tim 3 teaches, so I want to be obedient to it.
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