Ok, I thought I would bring back the seminary poll again. I don't know how long it's been maybe a year or so. What are your thoughts in regards to seminaries in the US. What is the best seminary? What seminary would you support and why? Are there any schools you would avoid?

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John
Member
Christ Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Salt Lake City, Utah
www.christpres.net

Are we going to make this a poll?

Here are my top:
Puritan Reformed
Mid-America Reformed
Greenville Presbyterian
WTS-PA

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Bradley Conway
Gainesville, GA
Chalcedon Presbyterian Church


"You may as well quit reading and hearing the Word of God, and give it to the devil, if you do not desire to live according to it."
- Martin Luther

Yes, I would like to. I messed up the poll because there were more seminaries I wanted to list then the initial 6 that I had.


Can a Mod help us reset the poll to list the following seminaries?

Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Dallas Theological Seminary
Puritan Reformed Seminary
Covenant Theological Seminary
Knox Theological Seminary
Mid-America Reformed Seminary
Reformed Theological Seminary
Westminster Seminary California
Westminster Theological Seminary Philly.
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Whitefield Theological seminary

In regards to most seminaries, it seems that they are sliding down that slippery slope to total liberalism.

I have been investigating seminaries recently because, as I mentioned on the Prayer forum, I am trying to sort out whether God is calling me to the ministry. If He is, I want to receive training from a seminary with the following criteria: thoroughly Reformed teaching with an emphasis on pastoral excellence; capable, godly, friendly, passionate faculty; and affordability (i.e. don't want to have to go deep into debt).

In light of those criteria, I would advocate Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. It is Truly Reformed, the faculty truly cares about its students, and, if your church will support the seminary with $2,500 per year for four years, doesn't cost you a dime in tuition (at least this is what I gathered from their catalog).

With GPTS being in first, Westminster Seminary California is my second choice. Wide variety of students from solidly Reformed denominations and spectacular faculty make this seminary another "winner" in my book. I hope to visit the campus in January when I attend their conference on Calvin's legacy. IMHO, the only thing that bugs me about WSC is that the combined cost of tuition with the cost of living is so high. I've heard the adage, "You get what you pay for," but how can a student going there avoid going into debt?

In reference to schools I would avoid, shun Fuller like the plague! (Sorry in advance Mr. McFadden!) Also avoid any schools that teach dispensationalism. It truly is too bad the The Master's Seminary is dispensational because I've heard they produce fine preachers. My pastor (PCA) went to DTS back in the seventies without any noticeable side effects (pre-trib rapture, for example-), and there are still some fine professors there (e.g. John Hannah), but it's dispensationalism combined with outrageous tuition costs totally destroy, IMO, the case for going there.

Also, it's too bad there are no reformed seminaries in South Texas.

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Ben Castaneda
member of Faith Presbyterian Church (PCA)
San Antonio, TX
MDiv student at WSC
Escondido, CA

"Not all prison bars are made from metal, And not all prisoners walk about in chains." -Lysander from Weatherby, Earl of Gloucester

Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary should be at the top of anyone's list looking to attend Seminary.

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Benjamin P. Glaser, M. Div, Licentiate, Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
Member Fairmount ARP Church
Pittsburgh, PA

Deo Vindice

How is PRTS distinctive from other seminaries? I have thoroughly combed their website and catalog, but since you went there, what, in your opinion, is the best thing about PRTS?

I added a couple more just because they DO have some reformed scholars working at their schools. If for no other reason, they offer a point of comparison.

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Bob Vigneault C.O.L, L.E., G.E, Dr.O.P., O.U.T.
The Heartbeat of Heaven (blog)
Deacon/Christ Presbyterian Church, Janesville, WI OPC www.christ-opc.org

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

I think you mean RPTS....

PRTS is Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary (which is the finest seminary today in my opinion).

Thank you Bob!

Whoops! Thanks! Yeah, I meant RPTS! Oh phooey! You all know what I meant.

I hear a lot of great things about PRTS as well. My question is: What makes PRTS one of the finest seminaries? What seperates it from say GPTS and Westminster California? Lord willing if I do attend seminary these are my three choices.

RPTS is the denominational Seminary of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. You will find superb professors who teach with a love for the Lord that is palpable. Also daily chapel with the Psalms is refreshing beyond explanation.

What about North Texas? Dallas. WTS has a very good extension campus here.

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Kenneth Kneip
Member @ New St. Peter's PC (PCA), Dallas TX
Pastoral Intern @ New Covenant PC (PCA), Dallas TX
M. Div. student @ Redeemer Seminary, Dallas TX

I'm surprised DTS is there, but TMS isn't. But, I'm probably a bit prejudiced in my opinion. Given the choices, I'd probably go Southern.

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For the Glory of our King,
Joe Johnson
Slave of Christ, husband, father, Preacherboy at Cornerstone Community Church, Escanaba, MI. and TMS graduate. Personal website - SoundLife.org

I do not know, and I do not say, that a person cannot believe in Revelation and in evolution, too, for a man may believe that which is infinitely wise and also that which is only asinine. ~ CHS

I edited the poll to include the three "major" branches of RTS as well (rather than RTS in general as just one listing), since they have significant differences.

__________________
Chris


A passion to know and reflect Christ by living and demonstrating the truth and richness of the historic Reformed faith

Visit My Website Here

Christopher Blum
Member of Trinity Presbyterian Church of Northern Kentucky (PCA) in Burlington, KY

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Doesn't WTS Dallas come with the same price tag as Westminster Philly? Also, what professors are at WTS Dallas?

I added The Master's Joe, for you.

The price tag is the same but if you are under care of your presbytery, you can apply for a scholarship that usually covers about 40 per cent of the tuition for full time status. ( 12 credit hours). The professors we have are:

Dr. Sinclair Ferguson- Systematics
Dr. Adrian Smith- New Testament
Dr. Douglas Gropp- Old Testament
Dr. John Hannah, Dr. Peter Liliback(sometimes)-Church History
Rev. Elliott Greene- Biblical Languages (in my opinion the best language prof around)

For the other required classes and various electives, we use professors from the main campus and adjunct people that live in the area.

It is a very small school. There are positives and negatives. The main positive is that you can develop closer relationships with the profs you may not be able to at bigger schools.

Check into it.

PRTS is the Protestant Reformed Theological School

Protestant Reformed Theological School

Which, I see, has not yet made it on the list....

So I guess I will not be voting.

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Bert Mulder
Elder of the First Protestant Reformed Church of Edmonton
Edmonton Alberta Canada

It's way too hard to pick just one...i would say that my top 5 would be...

Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Puritan Reformed Seminary
Covenant Theological Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary Philly.
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary

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Larry Bray
Elder - Reformed Presbyterian Church of Boothwyn, PCA
Boothwyn, PA - http://www.rpcb.org/
Free Online Reformed Seminary - http://www.tnars.net
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Christian ritual costs nothing and is worth nothing. True Christian religion costs all that we have and is worth everything.

Do you know about how many students attend there (@ WTS Dallas)?

I would say a number of reasons:

1) Professors - Dr. Beeke, Dr. Bilkes and Dr. David Murray are excellent teachers. These three men are the "full-time" professors. But you also have a huge list of the different visiting professors. Men such as Sinclair Ferguson, Cornelius Pronk, etc. They have chosen some of the most qualified men to teach on the various courses.

2) Emphases - Two of their main emphases are reformed experiential preaching (http://www.frcna.org/Data/StudentSoc...R.%20Beeke.pdf ) and the practical aspect of pastoral ministry. I have listened to a number of lectures by Dr. Beeke and some of the other professors and the practical wisdom they give is worth everything.

3) Heritage - They are in the lineage of the Puritan heritage. And if you are in agreement that the puritans of the 16th/17th century are the high water mark of Reformed Christianity, then you will be in agreement here.

4) Curriculum - Their curriculum is 127 credit hours for the M.Div. Having compared many of the different seminaries course structures I do not see a curriculum that will better prepare a man for the ministry. They are strong in nearly every area: languages, practical theology, systematics, homiletics, etc

5) Resources - Aside from the resources you have in the professors (and Dr. Beeke himself) they have a large library (I believe 40,000 books), a seperate Puritan Research center (containing many archaic original volumes), and students have access to Calvin Theological Library (very close and they have about 700,000 volumes!).

Those are the top reasons off the top of my head. I have really been researching seminaries lately and as you can see, I am definitively in favor of PRTS.

Probably about 100 or so. As I said it is a very small school. Talk to Brandon Eggar at the other PCA church in SA and Aaron Scott, church planter in San Marcos. They are both graduates from WTS Dallas. Aaron is a dear friend and tell him I referred you to him.

Added! Vote Bert.

No Erskine on the list?

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Tim Phillips
Pastor, Midlane Park Presbyterian Church (ARP)
Louisville, KY
Husband of Scottish Lass
My Blog: Gairney Bridge
My Facebook/My Avatar

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

"Wherever the gospel is preached, it is as if God Himself came into the midst of us." ~ John Calvin

Thanks, my friend.

Done

I vote for Southern. Great school. Great profs. Unrivaled library. Walking in Mohler's personal library is worth a year's tuition.

If you're a Reformed Baptist - or even just a "soteriologically Calvinistic Baptist" - there is really no other school you should consider. This is The One.

Even if you're Presbyterian - you'll get a great education, your views will be tested against some of the best Baptist minds, and you'll come out knowing more about Baptist History than most Baptists. (Here's a hint, I can sum up Dr. Nettles' class in one sentence: "Historically speaking, all good Baptists are Calvinists.")

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Ben
Chaplain, US Army
Ft. Riley, KS
TE Ohio Valley Presbytery, PCA

I took classes at Protestant Reformed and my alma mater is Puritan Seminary. I plan on doing the D Min at Reformed Presbyterian Seminary, Lord willing.

I would not recommend Protestant Reformed unless that is your denomination. It seems that their distinctives are front and center. At Puritan you have the breadth and width of the Experiential Reformed tradition and come to appreciate men from other denominations. It is quite ecumenical in the biblical sense. Nothing sectarian about it. I had a great experience there! My pastor went to WTS Philly in the late 70s. He calls Puritan Seminary 'what he thought he was going to get at WTS'. It is a good school.

Of course, we will all vote for either our alma maters or our denominational institutions!

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Pastor Nathan Eshelman, Los Angeles, CA
Reformed Presbyterian Church
PRESBYTERIAN THOUGHTS
Los Angeles Reformed Presbyterian Church
RPCLA Sermons Online
Puritan Reformed Seminary

Thanks Bob. I'd change my vote, but don't know how. Southern would be my other choice anyway. We almost went there.

Southern would be my choice.

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Ivan R. Schoen, B.A., M.A., M.L.I.S.
Pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church (SBC)
Poplar Grove, IL, USA
http://maranatha-sbc.org

Hmmmmmm. "Sorry"??? Really? You taking swings at my alma mater? I have heterodox views older than you, Cowboy! In fact, I came to the same position you did vis a vis Fuller years before you were even born!

In my book, Puritan Reformed and Greenville are the "try harder" seminaries that care more about ministerial preparation than academic snobbery. Westminster's major offerings (both Philadelphia and CA) are hard to beat in the traditional academic tradition. So . . . my top schools would take me to PRTS (how can you overlook Beeke?), GPTS, or Westminster California. Given the cost, my cheap side would probably put me in Grand Rapids or Greenville. On the Baptist side, Southern by a Baptist mile.

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Dennis E. McFadden, Ex Mainline Baptist (in Remission)
Atherton Baptist Homes, CEO
First Baptist Church of Alhambra, Member, Transformation Ministries (CA)

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Southern is probably a pretty good choice if you're SBC. If you're not, it's VERY expensive (i.e., cost prohibitive), at least when thinking about a post-M.Div. degree.

They do have a good library, though. I was just there on Thursday!

The Protestant Reformed Theological School is Michigans only Seminary on the Anglican Diocese of the Holy Cross list Diocese of the Holy Cross

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Thomas Yeutter,
Mason, MI
Member St. Patrick's Anglican Church, Comstock, MI

Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to do it and to teach its statues in Isreal.

Puritan Seminary is only $150 per credit hour. Times that by 127 credits and you get one inexpensive seminary experience. The cost of living here in GR is quite low for it being such a great mid sized city.

I am bias, because I attend PRTS, but I highly recommend PRTS. Studying under men like Joel Beeke is distinct honour.

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Jeff Wyman
Man Under Care
Little Farms Chapel OPC, Coopersville, MI
Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

"Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other." - Isaiah 45:22 (ESV)

No Jeff, putting a 'u' in honor is the real honor.

Guess I am biased about PRTS as well.

I find it interesting that nobody has mentioned Covenant. Don't count this as a vote in that direction from this alum, however.

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Curt Lovelace
Pastor, Covenant Baptist Church (CBA)
Acton, Maine
Director, Lifework Forum
Sermons at SermonAudio.com/CBCActon
Blogging at Coffee with Curt

lol

I suppose that it depends to some degree on what you are looking for. For a Reformed M.Div, I think GPTS and PRTS have a lot to offer that other schools don't. For sheer quality faculty production, WSC or Southern. For an academically-oriented MA, I would have to pick an accredited school like Covenant, WTS, or TEDS. For PhD work with real academic recognition, Southern, WTS, or TEDS.

I think people should avoid going to a school for one star professor they've fallen in love with. I have a lot of friends who wanted to go to TEDS because of D.A. Carson, only to realize he doesn't actually teach very many classes. I think MA's tend to be better at bigger schools, where the faculty can be more specialized. I'm in an MA at GPTS and I think the school is awesome, but it definitely wasn't designed with my program in mind.

A part of me wants to include DTS, but unless you're going for straight languages, I think their hermeneutics are too reductionist and their systematic philosophy is a little skeptical.

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Charlie Johnson
Downtown Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, student

Heterodox views older than you!

I old enough to remember the first time I said that! And young enough to remember when it was said to me. Although it was "I've been cooking since before you were born"! I love being older.

Oh yea, and to remain on topic, how about the School of Hard Knox!

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Timothy Johnson
First United Presbyterian of Moline
PCUSA (Yea, I know)
Theology/Philosophy Sunday School Teacher
Davenport, IA