Seminary Education and the Globe Aug 21
We launch into the new semester this week. At our faculty retreat we took a look at seminary education these days from a global perspective. There is a significant international issue in terms of untrained leadership around the globe (especially where the faith is exploding in growth). Part of the problem involves their inability to get to seminaries (or being able to afford it).
We launch into the new semester this week. At our faculty retreat we took a look at seminary education these days from a global perspective. There is a significant international issue in terms of untrained leadership around the globe (especially where the faith is exploding in growth). Part of the problem involves their inability to get to seminaries (or being able to afford it). Ramesh Richard, a fine colleague from India, walked our faculty through the issues from an international point of view. It is a practical problem we as a community are trying to pay attention to and think through how to address (or at least begin to address). It actually is an issue far too large for any one school or group. Thanks to Ramesh for doing such a nice job of alerting us and clearing the decks so we can begin to think clearly about this. It may take two T’s to begin to address the issue: Teaming and Technology. We may need to do a better job of going to where the need is and be more creative about how to team with others in these locales to make a start.
9 Comments
Brett Williamss
Dr. Bock:
One of the
Dr. Bock:
One of the problems PBC discovered was when pastors from third-world regions came to PBC for education was that they were pulled out of their communities for several years while pursuing their degrees. Four years out of one’s native region is a long time. Things change. I think PBC is convinced that the ways to fix this problem are 1) Internet, online education, and 2) satellite locations. PBC has one in Egypt and one in Bangladesh. Some education needs to take place in a classroom setting, so these 2 areas compliment each other.
I think DTS has a satellite location at Andy Stanley’s Church here in Atlanta. Do you have locations in third-world countries?
What is DTS’s policy about receiving financial contributions? I spoke with an individual at DTS about paying the way of a PhD student in exchange for that individual committing to teach in Knoxville, TN for 5 years. During that talk, I remember the individual telling my something about DTS’s policy of receiving money. He mention DTS would not go the way of Harvard of Princeton.
Brett
bock
One of dlb
Brett:
What is PBC?
We do some remote teaching in the US and use the Internet for a China program.
You can do scholarship sponsorship at DTS, I think.
Brett Williamss
Dr. Book:
Sorry. PBC is
Dr. Book:
Sorry. PBC is Piedmont Baptist College, out of Winston-Salem, NC.
They are a fairly small college, 380 enrollment. They merged with Spurgeon School out of Florida, which is their Online school now. Their online program is growing fairly rapidly from what I’ve heard. If you need additional information, just let me know. I still technically work for them and am good friends with the President, Charles Petitt.
Brett
Anonymous
I wish your blog was
I wish your blog was available in french too so I could share it with some of my friends.
Mike
where to start
dr. bock,
i appreciate this post. i’m a phd student in hebrew bible and i’m definitely interested in volunteering to teach during summer in places needing theological education. i suspect this task involves fund-raising and the right networking, things with which i’m not very experienced. do you have any suggestions for a starting place to do further inquiry into such possibilities?
bock
Where to start dlb
Mike:
I’d contact the mission organizations that underwrite schools or contact the schools directly.
dlb
Magnus Nordlund
Pseudo-Clementine and the followers of the Baptist
Short questions…
First: Some scholars is quoting the “Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions 1.60.1-2 ” to back up their claims that the disciples of John did not believe Jesus to be the Messiah.. What value should one put on this ancient source in reconstructing the historical setting of the first century??…
Lastly: Would you agree on these assertions that:
(i). the followers of the Baptist and the followers of Christ were in competition with each other regarding converts to their type of spiritual branch…
(ii) the author of the Gospel of John omitted Jesus’s baptism because he did not want Jesus to seem inferior to John by submitting to his baptism.
Sincerely
Magnus, Sweden
bock
Pseudo-Clementine dlb
Magnus:
It is amazing that these sources are being rehabilitated with little justification.
Questions: (1) There is no evidence these groups were in competition. What we do know is that some of John’s followers were slow to connect to the new movement.
(2) This is special pleading. John the Baptist witnessed to Jesus seeing the dove. The natural question is where and when did the dove descend? At the baptism, where else? The story assumes the synoptic account or the tradition behind them.
dlb
T N Thorne
The role of Seminary
There is a great concern over the education of spiritual leaders in third world communities, however I do not see seminaries being the answer to the problem. As educational institutions they follow, by necessity, a business model. This is not a criticism, only an observation. The teachers and administrators are indeed worth of the wage they earn; it is unfortunate that many in developing nations cannot pay what is required by the institution in a non-third world nation.
Yes, scholarships may be made available so foreign students may come here for their education, but as has already been pointed out this leads to a disconnect with their home community if they return and, as is the often the case, they may decide to not return home.
I had voluntered a few years ago to teach in a national seminary in north east Indea. It seemed a good idea to raise support and go to these other nations to teach them. It’s not a bad model either, but I noticed that there was a language barrier. The students who understood English did well in the class and, conversely, those who knew little English failed.
I think everyone agrees that native people teaching their fellow nationals is the best possible solution. How to educate enough natives is the problem, and I iterate that I do not see seminaries as the solution. Instead, we need churches and missionaries to take spiritual education seriously. I have long believed that if a church were actively teaching their people well they would have no need to look outside their doors to hire a new pastor. Every church should be able to hire from within, and the fact they cannot indicates a lack of seriousness regarding discipleship and education. I admit that in the past this may have been hindered by a lack of ideas and resources, but in today’s internet-enabled world with many resources available for free (thank you bible.org!) this is no longer the case.
If we have a healthy body producing ministers, we will have missionaries prepared to not only lead others to Christ but to train them up in Christ as well. In no time at all we could have multitudes of nationals ready to teach and train. At least that is my vision.