Grimmson
Puritan Board Sophomore
I'm 41 and I don't have the time to spend the next 4 years getting a Bachelor's degree in Bible. I'm interested in a seminary level education without the degree.
I'm 42 with 4 kids and am an Active Duty Marine with significant responsibilities. You have less time than I?
I am not trying to defend Robert’s statement, but let us consider the issue of time and his age Rich. He is currently 41, if he gets a B.S. or B.A. in four years that would imply it would be 45 by the time he be ready to meet Bachelor requirement for seminary. Now add on top of that the reality that it is taking longer even for single seminary students compared to the standard two year expectation for earning a Masters. In many cases being four years before the M.Div is actually earned. If such is a case for Robert, then that will place him at about 49 before he could receive a calling or any other high application to his education. And it seems to me unless you’re already planted in a church and doing ministry within that church, it is much more difficult for a non-experienced older person to enter into say the pastoral ministry compared to a younger man in his 30s. That is at least the trend or rule that I see.
According to your signature list Rich, you are currently a seminary student, he is not yet one. You are already ahead of him in pursuing his education. I do not think he was referring to time in relation to responsibilities, but in regards to his age and the reality of the church using him in relation to that education. He can correct me if am wrong.
So why even try to get the education? Because I think it is a requirement for the church to teach these things anyway as being disciples of Christ in fulfilling the Great Commission and for those within the church to learn these things regardless of the level of Christian service one is providing. Now I am going to restrain a rant because it leading off topic of this thread.
The more ministry I have performed in the service of the Church, the more I'm convinced of the need that men be prepared for the same. I realize he has not even achieved a Bachelors Degree yet but age 49 is not too old if he really desires to be fully equipped. Given other responsibilities and my conviction that education ought to be continuous, I don't expect my own education will be completed by the time I'm 49 but will still be able to serve in some form of ministry during that time.
The pitfalls and the challenges to ministry are many. Being equipped to deal with the variety of Pastoral questions and challenges to the Christian faith does not come by easily. I've been in intense personal study for over 15 years and leadership for over 20. Every day I learn new things and I would never encourage a person's impatience to short circuit many things that ought to be in one's "toolkit" before they take on the ministry. I don't consider "degrees" to be the end all and believe pastoral learning is done much more on the ground of personal piety, study, and service to others but the academic preparation cannot be sacrificed in the least. If a Church is able to teach all the above, and thoroughly, then so be it but the implication in "I don't have the time..." also implies that one doesn't have the time for the Church to invest the same time that it would take.
As an example, we don't allow leaders to take significant responsibility in the military until they have many years of academic preparation, leadership, and observation of the same. There are simply no shortcuts to being a leader/teacher and the Scriptures are replete with warnings to avoid assuming these offices hastily.
I don’t think 49 to old to be engaged in ministry, however what I think and what is applied in our churches in reality are two different things. I agree that men should be prepared, however we should consider by whom and how is the person to be prepared academically and spiritually. I agree that there shouldn’t be shortcuts, but let us not command something of our leaders that scripture does not command of, which should be the rule of faith and life; including that of our leaders. Christ did not assign the profitable training of such leaders to a academic intuitional model, like a college or a receiving of a particular type and level of a degree. We as the church have delegated that churchly responsibility of training to our seminaries instead of engaging it ourselves. In fact I would make the argument the church is lacking on just about all fronts of Christian education as seen from the pulpit and Sunday School to Wednesday night and personal/family bible study. This is not to bash anyone’s church or anyone attempt of Christian education on this board.