Are we any different?
Are we seminary students any different from the rest of the congregation? In a local church should those who attend seminary be expected to do more? Should we be considered the "cream of the crop"? Should it be assumed that we should teach and lead simply because we're in seminary? What is our role in the local church? Are we any differnt?
An issue came up at church today, and those questions have been racing through my mind. We are being trained and equipped formally in preparation for ministry. We are in seminary because we have the desire to serve perhaps in a fuller capacity, and we possess a level of maturity that our churches have deemed suitable for ministry (hopefully). We may obtain more knowledge on various subjects, such as church history, biblical languages, etc. We are different in that aspect. However, I personally don't think that we should be treated any differently from any other member in the congregation. Certainly we should not be perceived as the "cream of the crop" (someone at church actually referred to us by that). Yes, we are getting theological education in a more intensive and formal setting. But systematic theology and church history are not exclusive subjects to those in seminary. Pastors and teachers should be teaching doctrinally sound theology from the pulpit and in Sunday school classes. Congregations should be fed with biblical theology whether they're seminary students or housewives. Members of the local church can certainly benefit and grow in faith through learning of the lives of early church fathers and the Reformers. It's tempting for us seminarians to think that we're above others, or even that we've arrived. Being worshipped (that may be too strong of a word) or paid special attention and reverence by fellow church members certainly does not help us cultivating humility.
Every church member should be encouraged to be involved in some capacity of ministry, public or behind the scene. Serving is doing something when there is a need. It was suggested that if we have any desire for a particular area of ministry, we would be encouraged to inform the leadership and just do it. I agree that if we see a need in the local church we work with the leadership to meet that need. I would be against it if we start a new ministry to meet our own needs, our need to practice for future ministry, our need for a class credit, our desire for a particular ministry whether or not it's appropriate or needed at this church, or our need to show off our education. Of course no one is going to admit that's their intention in doing ministry. But let's be honest in examining our intentions. Doing ministry should always be for God's glory and for the benefit of the church; it should never be for our own glory and our selfish gain, whether you're a seminarian or CEO.
Also we shouldn't assume that every seminary student is fit to teach and be in leadership position. We may have the head knowledge, but many of us, in fact, a growing number of seminary students are fresh out of college without much life experiences (I'm including myself in this category). We are all in different places in life, maturity level varies greatly from one person to the next. The title of a seminary student does not warrant wisdom and maturity, sadly.
On the other hand, I know someone, a fellow seminarian, whose personal conviction is that he's in a season to learn and to grow. Therefore, instead of seizing an opportunity to serve even when the need is rather urgent, he is going to pass and focus on learning and receiving. I may sound a little bitter. But I simply cannot wrap my mind around this argument. You just can't segregate your life like that. You're always called to serve; you're always a part of the body of Christ, whether you're in school or retired. What do you have that you have not received? We as seminary students have this great privilege to receive formal theological training. I believe we are receiving more. Why hold on to it instead of sharing with brothers and sisters while you can?
It's tricky I find. While I don't think we should assume leadership and teaching position simply because we are in seminary, and while I dont' think we deserve any special attention and treatment, we do need to be mindful of the blessings from God through our seminary education. Share the blessings wisely and generously with brothers and sisters.
I may have been rambling on. I may have been ranting a little. I apologize to my fellow seminarians. Please know I didn't mean any disrespect. Any input will be welcomed, and feel free to correct me.
posted by jennifer at 12:58 AM
3 Comments:
Jesus said, “Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more." (Luke 12:48 HCSB).
Any student enrolled in seminary should look for ways to serve in a local church. It doesn't necessarily have to be in a teaching role, but it should be in some matter of service, and usually it ought to be in some way a leadership position. I don't necessarily suggest that all seminary students get a church staff POSITION per say, but some WILL want to do that, and if they can honor God by giving their best to family, church position, and school, then I say go for it.
You say, "we shouldn't assume that every seminary student is fit to teach and be in leadership position." Teaching maybe, but if a seminary student isn't cut out for a leadership position then he or she does not need to be in school.
Some of the local churches around here have entire Sunday School classes made up of just seminary students and their spouses. YUCK! I can't think of a greater place I'd rather avoid. I can just imagine a bunch of seminary students holding ivory tower debates trying to show off how much they know.
Seminary students are extremely priviledged to get to set aside a few years of their lives and study God's word at a greater level than the average church member and develop their memory skills. But they shouldn't sit around and meditate on their navels.
I've been teaching and/or preaching and more since I was 18. I have often been placed in settings where I didn't feel completely adequate (do we every fully feel that way?), but I trusted in God and the experiences stretched me and I was the better servant for it.
In all my years of teaching Sunday School, the ones I have the most trouble from are the seminary students who want to show off how much they know. I say this as someone who's been in seminary now for the third time, that they can be the most obnoxious people in a setting like that because they assume that they can't be taught. I know I"m generalizing, but I've seen it over and over. In every situation, I took the fellow aside and asked why he was in my class and why he wasn't teaching a class himself. Too busy, not gifted enough, etc. are all lame excuses to me. And I think excuses like "that's just not my gifting" displays a lack of trust in God. If we're truly called by him, he will equip us. My goodness, I've even led music when the music minister was sick last minute. I have enough sense to know I'm not going to do it every week, but I certainly can stand in the gap if that's what the moment needs.
I've had seminary students decline to fill in for me teaching a Sunday School lesson because they don't feel like they are ready. Oh my goodness! What will it take for them to be ready?
I once heard someone say that true leadership is being willing to do the right thing at the right time when no one else will. Makes you wonder why all those seminary students are taking up space and not contributing.
Yes, all church members are required to serve and studying theology is certainly not out of bounds, but I still with Jesus' words that "to whom much is given, much is required.
12:18 PM
Rick, thank you for your comment. And thank you for reminding me of Jesus' teaching. I was thinking about that, too, as I ranted on and on in my post. I agree that we should seek out ways to serve in our church. Perhaps I was just thinking like a woman, so I was not thinking particularly of ways to teach and to lead.
One of the reasons behind my post is that I, too, have seen seminary students who perhaps should not be here, and some who just seem unteachable in their attitude. I'm not excluding myself from that category. But I pray and plead with God that He will give me grace to make me teachable and humble, and that I will grow and be molded to be the woman that He's called me to be, and to be equipped to do the things He's called me to do.
And I cannot disagree enough with those who sit on their hands because they're not ready, or it's not the right season, or "I don't feel called to do that", or they're primary responsibility is school work, or... you know what I'm saying.
In the Chinese culture (where I'm coming from) people look up to seminary students. And sometimes I just feel like they're giving us too much credit.
I guess I'm just a little weary of that. And I'm a little weary of the fact that some of us are not taking initiative in seeking out needs in the church and to serve when opportunities present themselves. Like everyone else at church, and as you said, especially those who are in seminary, we should serve when we see there's a need (which is all the time).
And my rambling goes on.
12:56 PM
Jennifer,
I enjoyed the rant! I know what you're saying about unfaithful students. I know of a church that had a couple of SBTS/Boyce couples, and neither couple was all that faithful. In fact, they were some of the poorest attenders when it comes to worship.
Of course, I realize that the tendency is to think that we're the better kind of SBTS (or Boyce) students, which is an equally dangerous position of pride. But, yes, I do know students that I'm fully convinced are not called to ministry and are attending SBTS for the knowledge.
However, I can relate to those kind of students since I was last during most of my time here at Boyce. I had the head knowledge piling up, but my heart was as cold as ice. I thank God that He waited to save me after I came to Boyce and studied for years. It helped me see what life is like as a religious, yet unregenerate man. It makes grace and faith seem all that more real and amazing to me.
So...I guess in the end we should pray for those problem students and exhort and correct them when the need arises. And, let's not rule out the possibility that there are probably several unregenerate students walking among us...I mean, I was one.
If you’ll permit me, I’d like to quote Richard Baxter and Charles Spurgeon. After my conversion, I was given the opportunity to address my congregation and let them know that their Minister of Music had just become a Christian a few days prior…It was somewhat humiliating to admit that I had just come to know the Savior, but humility is an integral part of conversion.
Anyhow, Baxter says to “Take heed to yourselves lest you should be void of that saving grace of God which you offer to others, and be strangers to the effectual working of that gospel which you preach…many a preacher is now in hell, that hath an hundred times called upon his hearers to use the utmost care and diligence to escape it.”
Spurgeon says, “How can [the preacher] daily bid men come to Christ, while he himself is a stranger to His dying love? O sirs, surely this must be perpetual slavery. Such a man must hate the sight of a pulpit as much as a galley-slave hates the oars.” And, “to be lost under the shadow of a pulpit is dreadful, but how much more so to perish from the pulpit itself!”
Okay…That may have veered from the topic of hand, but I guess that my concern through all of this talk of conversion is that:
1. There are seminary students who have had not experienced the miracle of regeneration and are living lives devoid of the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. As such, we should not expect such students to display a humility that is God-given. It truly took a miracle of God for me to be able to lay down my pride and quit trying to convince myself that I was who I was not. I was not the believer that I claimed to be, for my idol was myself. It’s only by the grace of God that I came to realize my lost condition and turn to Christ.
2. We, in the American church, are quick to put the talented into positions of leadership. Although I was a music minister and had the training necessary for the task, I was groping in the darkness when it came to my spiritual health. I agree that we too often push SBTS/Boyce students into positions of leadership simply because they’re enrolled in an institution. However, they may not be a member of the universal body of Christ altogether.
3. On a side note…I believe that seminary students should be willing to serve. If God has called them to the ministry and to a place of training for Christian service, I simply cannot understand a test-tube understanding of sanctification and service. We do not grow into Christ’s likeness in a vacuum, separated from the exercise of Christian service in the local body. I’d encourage every SBTS/Boyce student to play an active role in the local church. And, this doesn’t mean being shoved into a position of leadership for which they are not ready. However, they should be willing to crawl out of the cave of comfort and be willing to venture into the unknown territory of serving the body of Christ.
I hope that makes sense, and I apologize for being so verbose, but you really got me thinking about these issues, and I wanted to write down my thoughts before they quickly exited.
Blessings to you!!
Kenny
11:22 PM
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