Going to Seminary

As seminary students, we realize a mantra that matters much in church life is “IN ESSENTIALS UNITY, IN NON-ESSENTIALS LIBERTY, IN ALL THINGS CHARITY.” We believe this and know this to be true. This is why we have had conferences like Together for the Gospel and can have debates regarding Baptism and church polity. We can agree to disagree on many doctrines within our local congregation and that is a good thing. My concern is not so much with the body as it is with the staff and leadership found therein. This applies to most of our readers at Going to Seminary since most of us will be involved in a leadership role in the local church.

Unity

According to Merriam-Webster online, unity is defined as “A condition of harmony.” The staff must strive to be unified as they seek to lead the church. There is room for doctrinal disagreement, but there cannot be room for disagreement regarding the vision for the church or for that matter what the role of each staff member is. If there is, there is “trouble a-brewin’” as one of my good friends likes to say.

Satan can use the disunity to sneak into the church and disrupt everything. From off-hand, inconsequential remarks to outright sabotage, Satan will use the disagreements to his advantage. May this never be!

One way this can be avoided is to be humble enough to be honest with one another. Humility and honesty should be hallmarks of a church staff. Unfortunately, this is not often the case. If you have a problem with your pastor, you need to be able to take that problem to him and discuss it without it blowing up into a huge altercation. If you are the pastor, you need to make yourself open and available to critique. This must be done in more than word. You need to show yourself humble and react appropriately to the critique listening to what is said and not be so quick to defend yourself.

Uniformity

Uniformity is defined as “the quality or state of being uniform.” Uniform means, “having always the same form, manner, or degree” or “consistent in conduct or opinion.”

The problem really turns ugly when the senior pastor–a.k.a. chief undershepherd–oh wait, that’s Christ!–recognizes a disunity and basically commands for what he calls “unity” but in all actuality is “uniformity.” Most are not as blatant about uniformity as this, but it seems to be very easy to think your call for uniformity is actually a call to unity.

As “pastors-in-training,” we must be aware that we, too, will fall into this trap at some point. As leaders of a particular ministry (music, youth, children) it is much easier to demand that everyone fall in line with your vision and think everyone is unified. Be sure you know the difference between unity and uniformity. Be sure you are humble enough to be corrected and challenged. Be sure you are always critically looking at what you are doing in the church and for Whom you are doing it.

Being a pastor is not like other careers (I agree with John Piper, Brothers, we are not Professionals!). We must be humble. We must be critical of our motives; after all, the heart is deceitful above all things, who can understand it? Humility cannot be taught. More often than not, it is learned. I pray that we all as seminarians learn this lesson before we move into a leadership role in a local church and become an open doorway by which Satan enters the church.

Sitting in my first Covenant Theology class of seminary, Dr. Williams, in addition to speaking about the course, provided one of the most important “nuggets” of wisdom that I will ever receive during my theological training. He briefly, yet powerfully, spoke about an “ethic of reading.” He explained that many of us in Reformed circles, especially my generation, are suspicious readers. He called us to cultivate an attitude of sympathetic reading. Now, being a sympathetic reader does not mean that we avoid critical reading or necessarily agree with what each author claims. Being a sympathetic reader means not being dismissive or mean-spirited in how we approach texts. This “ethic of reading” was not about reading strategies, but rather character formation. Also, it was a matter of respect. If the professors have assigned a particular article or text it is worth reading, even when we disagree. Dr. Williams lamented the countless number of times he read book reviews from students that totally ripped apart texts, saying it was not worth their time. At no point, did these individuals consider, “I wonder why my professor assigned this, what did he want me to get out of it?”

Dr. Williams spoke about how he declined opportunities to write for two journals that wanted him to essentially “bash” dispensational eschatology and over-realized eschatology (He had done tremendous work on eschatology, hence those particular topics). Dr. Williams refused because he did not want to write polemics. In class, he urged us, “Be champions of construction, not champions of polemics.” Rather than vehemently attacking what we are against, we ought to passionately speak about what we stand for. He gave an incredible example of being a champion of construction—the Apostles Creed. When I heard him call the Creed “polemical,” I was surprised. Dr. Williams explained that it was a polemic against the Gnostics, Marcionites, Ebionites, and other heretical sects in the early Church. Yet, it was written constructively. At no point are any of those groups listed in the Apostles Creed, but one can be absolutely certain that in affirming its commitments no one need to question where they landed.

I am praying that the Lord would protect me from the pride that lurks within me that would have me interact with texts, produced by actual individuals endowed with the imago Dei, in a mean-spirited or dismissive way–without any grace! Lord, give us all humility!

I love this website. I started it a couple years ago as I began my transition into seminary. Finding helpful information about the seminary life on the internet was hit or miss. My goal was to create a site that would provide current and future seminarians a place to get the inside scoop on the seminary life. As the site grew, more and more people got involved and it became a site that has helped, encouraged, and challenged many of us.

Alas, my seminary journey was cut short and, despite no longer being a seminarian, I continued to manage the site partly as a ministry and partly as a hobby. However, as I managed Going to Seminary along with my web development company and full time job (oh, let’s not forget my family) I began to feel like it was time to pass the reigns to someone else.

Over the last couple months I’ve gotten to know the folks at Rockbridge Seminary. Following them on Twitter and watching them engage and serve the seminary community, not simply for their own gain, but for the good of Christ’s kingdom really impressed me. So, a few weeks ago I approached them to see if they would be interested in taking over the site. In the course of our discussion, the thing that most encouraged me was their desire to keep the focus of GtS the same. They weren’t interested in turning it into the official blog of Rockbridge or anything like that. Rather, they wanted to, more or less, keep it the same.

That said, last week we reached an agreement and Rockbridge Seminary is now the owner of GoingtoSemianry.com. I’ll still be involved with the site, as will the other authors you’ve grown to love. In fact, I’m really excited because now GtS has someone who can really work to take it to the next level. I really believe that the only changes you’ll see from this transition is that GtS is only going to get better!

So, that’s it. Just wanted to let you know.  This isn’t goodbye. None the less, thanks to all of you who’ve made the last 2 years a true joy.

_ryan

I recently heard a couple discussing reasons as to why they left a certain church. They kept telling me that they loved the doctrine, they loved what they heard from the pulpit, and they loved what they learned. What drove them away from this church was the attitude of some in the congregation. As they have been searching for a new church to attend, they said they had found many churches with good doctrine but most lacked a good attitude.

As I asked them what they meant, they stated that they were looking for a church without cliques. They were tired of seeing favoritism and partiality. Some in the church they left made them feel part of the body, but most did not. They came to the realization that it was time to move on from that church when they found themselves engaging in gossip at home.

As I sat and listened with horror to their being hurt by a local church body, I was amazed at their maturity to recognize their own sinfulness and need to find another church home for the sake of their spiritual growth and maturity.

After the conversation, I prayed to the Lord that I would not only guard my doctrine (1 Tim. 4:16) but that I would also use my doctrine to drive my practice. The scriptures teach that the church consists of many different parts functioning as one body (Rom. 12:12-13, 1 Cor. 12:12-13) and that the Lord shows no partiality (Acts 10:34, Rom. 2:11).

May we be ever mindful as ministers in training that we need more than just good doctrine. We must love the people we are called to serve. As an under shepherd or leader in a local congregation, it is our responsibility to see that we are meeting our people where they are and not expecting them to meet us where we think they should be.

I’ve been reflecting upon an experience that my wife, Abbie, and I had not too long ago. I serve as a Youth Pastor at a church in Dunn, NC, called Stoney Run, which is a part of the Pentecostal Free Will Baptist (PFWB) denomination. Every summer, the denomination holds a week-long Camp Meeting where members of various PFWB churches attend to hear a speaker preach. The only night my wife and I went, the speaker was a 16 year-old kid. Contrary to your suspected suspicion, this kid’s delivery was as good as a 25 year veteran.

Let me briefly explain.

Tyler, the kid-preacher, exhibited what I understand and describe as the stereotypical, southern, evangelistic Pentecostal-style preaching. His voice inflection surely roused emotion. The long-winded list of descriptions for a single point was rhetorically calculated to paint a picture for the audience to view. The pacing back and forth on the stage, sporadically speaking in tongues provoked those assembled to participate in the expected move of the Spirit. And, the minor detail of using a handkerchief to wipe his sweat was accessed more than once.

All of this is fine. However, if this is all there is, there’s a problem. In my brief experience enveloped in this culture, I’ve been rather disappointed by this kind of preaching. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a critique on the people who preach. Neither do I think that the details listed above are necessarily a problem. The problem, as I see it, is that within this kind of preaching, there is very little meat to chew on, there are (at some point) insults projected toward other (usually non-charismatic) believers, and the emotional arousal seems to leave out contrition, humility, and whatever else that would inject legitimate love into the heart of those listening.

I’ve written elsewhere on certain aspects of tradition and how it shapes us. Clearly, the aforementioned is the result of conditioning through certain tradition(s). Go to different regions of America and you’ll find different preaching styles that dominate the scene. This is expected, and, okay.

Neither my wife, nor I grew up in this type of church environment. In fact, we grew up in a part of Christendom that seems to treat these types of churches/preachers like an estranged sibling who has a mental disorder. Sad to say, but true. Even after I started my journey of faith with the LORD, this style was not something that I was accustomed to hearing nor appreciating. Now that I am serving as a youth pastor in this kind of culture (which ought to provide some insight into how God has worked in me), I can see more clearly how one ought to understand and handle this phenomenon (different styles of preaching) within the body of Christ.

The above critique is entirely my subjective opinion that is directly resulted from my personal conditioning as a believer. Clearly, the style of preaching that edifies me will not likely edify those who get edified by the style of preaching mentioned above. What I see as important, and what I try to maintain while discussing these things, are non-judgmental, inappropriate conclusions. It’s one thing to say that this preaching style is lacking in certain areas, and another to say that the preacher is lacking; we are all lacking. Given this, I hope it’s the case that what is stated here is understood as an attempt to provide constructive criticism that will result in the building up of God’s Kingdom.

I’m convinced, at this point in my experience, that there are certain core components that should make up all preaching/teaching, despite the particular flavor. This conviction is based on the Scripture’s testimony of God’s character, God’s purposes for his people and the world, and the explicit instructions that are offered throughout the various letters of Paul and others. Here is what seems to be provided:

1. There should be zero insulting of other believers, even if we disagree with each other. We are all products of our environments (to some extent anyway). Be honest, but speak the truth in love, enveloped in grace and empathy.
2. An implication of #1 is that we ought to recognize and make known that our abilities and what we offer has limitations; we cannot always give the final word on a issue or topic. This is not to suggest we can’t at times give a final word (e.g. Christ is Lord, Yahweh is the only God, The Holy Spirit regenerates sinners, etc.). But, humble recognition that our knowledge is limited on certain issues should be expressed in some fashion.
3. There must be a moving on from the “elementary doctrine of Christ” in order to go on to maturity. There are certain segments of believers who hear the same core messages preached over and over in different ways, by different people. If it were true of believers back in the first-century, surely it will be the case today (Heb. 6).
4. An implication of #3 is that there needs to be a recognition that when a congregation of believers assemble, the message provided must be addressed to believers, not to unbelievers. This is not to suggest we shouldn’t preach the message of God’s salvation, but only that we need to better discern when, where, and how.
5. Rather than challenge believers to “consider” or “think” about what we preach or teach, the charge must be provided in more practical terms—“do this,” “behave in this manner,” “practice this,” etc.

Given all that’s been shared, I’m not closed to correction and/or suggestions that may differ from what I’ve stated. I’d like to hear your thoughts on these matters. It’s been something percolating in my mind, and even more than that, it seems like a good issue to resolve personally, so as to best set ourselves up to handle the various kinds of preaching styles, worship services, and teachers that we will come across in our experience as ministers of God’s good news.

This is a guest post written by Rev. Michael Shanlian.

In my fifty six years I have never met an accomplished person who did not overcome adversity. Dr. Martin Luther King said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

I am sure my struggle to obtain a Seminary degree and other educational pursuits was not unique, but it was unique to me. I graduated from Bible College in 1976. I supported myself by working forty hours a week for General Motors and taking classes by day and working second shift. I managed to graduate in four years.

After graduation I became the pastor of a church plant in my home town at age twenty three. I continued to work at General Motors. Fast forward thirteen years to 1985. My wife Karen collapses in church and is rushed to the hospital. The diagnosis was she had Multiple Sclerosis. I knew what that was because one of my sisters had it. Less than six months later she lost the use of her legs and has not taken a step in twenty four years.

During these years I worked as a bi-vocational pastor and church planter. I have worked as a financial planner, salesman, manager and business owner. One of my life long dreams was to attend Seminary. I quickly realized as a young pastor how woefully unqualified I was to be a senior pastor. The years went by quickly and still no Seminary degree. Finally at age fifty-four the door opened. I was able to attend Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and earn an MA in Pastoral Counseling as a distant education student. I completed the thirty six hour program in two years without skipping a semester. At the same time I worked two days a week for a local jewelry store as the staff Gemologist and jewelry appraiser. I also was the pastor of a small Southern Baptist Church plus providing care for my wife.

These few paragraphs are the Readers Digest version of these events that spanned almost forty years. My purpose in writing this was not to illicit sympathy. I wanted to encourage that Seminarian that is ready to throw in the towel; or the discouraged pastor who wants a Seminary degree, but is blocked by the circumstances of life.

Hang on to your dreams. The only person that can kill your dreams is you. My wife and I on our wedding night chose Romans 8:28 as our life verse. “For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and are the called according to His purpose.” Someone has said, “It is not what happens to you that matters, but how you handle what happens to you that matters.” Obstacles are just opportunities in disguise.

“Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.”
–Sir Winston Churchill

Rev. Michael Shanlian is a thirty three year veteran as a bi-vocational pastor and church planter. He is an accomplished Gemologist and has obtained the highest credentials in Gemology for gem identification and jewelry appraising. He holds a B.R.E. from Midwestern Baptist College and an M.A. in Pastoral Counseling from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He also has been honored with an Honorary Doctorate and will be completing his doctoral dissertation through South African Theological Seminary.

I am employing the word “sojourn” in a very intentional way as I reflect on my current status as an individual who has traveled a long way to attend seminary. To be certain, I have physically moved quite a distance in the past five years in pursuing education. I essentially spent the first eighteen years of my life on Aquidneck Island, in Southeastern Rhode Island. Shortly after graduating high school, I journeyed south to the former capitol of the Confederacy to attend the University of Richmond. And now, at the age of 22, I find myself a week into a 13-month lease on a Saint Louis, Missouri apartment, anxiously waiting for my studies to begin at Covenant Theological Seminary. I have now lived in Rhode Island, Virginia, and now Missouri, yet I am struggling to find my home.

In high school, I was a day student at a private boarding school. The people that I felt closest to during high school were the ones that did not actually live in that town. For many, returning home during college breaks meant reconnecting with parents and friends. For me, it was spending time with my parents. I came to know the Lord in college and for most of college (even at times now), returning home is not simply difficult because the lack of fellowship, but because it is difficult not identifying that physical location with the person I was before Christ took control. I intellectually grasp that in those moments I am forgetting the sufficiency of the Cross of Christ to eliminate all my guilt, but I struggle to sense that fully. One of the underlying motivations for attending college far away from home, out of New England was the shame and guilt I felt before I first felt His love cover over it all. Coupled with the growing feeling that I was not coming home, but rather than visiting my parents, I do not find home to be in Rhode Island.

As someone who grew up attending Catholic mass with my parents, and came to know the Lord on a college campus, apart from a local church body, it was easy to identify the people that the Lord put in my life as my spiritual home. I still held an infantile view of the local church in God’s mission and my life. On top of that, I was trying to (and continue to try) figure out where I landed. I began at Third Presbyterian because my first close Christian brothers in college went there. Shortly after that, I grew close to a campus minister who was part of Every Nation Campus Ministry, and for a short season I attended Harvest Renewal Church, his spiritual home. As I began leading Young Life, I moved to another church, Hope, that met in the auditorium at the school I was placed. And eventually, I returned to Third where the brothers in Christ that I met with weekly for over two and a half years were. And occasionally, in the last semester of college I attended Redemption Hill, a newer church plant in Richmond, where that campus minister was now pastoring. All in all, I attended four churches…and belonged to none.

Now, I find myself far from the East Coast from those close friends that I gained on campus and through Young Life. To be honest, I am not alone here. My apartment is 10 minutes from CTS and only 5 minutes from my girlfriend and her family. When I first found out where Covenant was, I was certain I should not go there. It was a short drive from the girl that I pursued (with no result) for several years, and I was convinced that my brothers in Christ would see through any explanation for attending Covenant. Somehow, as I began looking at Covenant, God put it in her heart to actually consider a relationship will me. We now find ourselves together in the same city trying to be mindful of God’s timing, but also conscious of the purpose behind dating.

OK, just started talking about that girl and lost my train of thought…

We’re back! Over the course of my senior year, God began to convict me of the self-serving view of the local church that I held. As He started beating out the notion that I could love Him, but not His bride, He also filled me with a desire to belong to a local church, to serve a local church, to be under the authority of a body of elders. Those desires surfaced as I was just months from graduation.

As I sat in my apartment this afternoon, I felt lonely. I felt disconnected. Right now, my gospel community is my girlfriend and her family. They have been incredibly gracious and hospitable, but I feel like a “Lone Ranger” Christian right now. It hurts because I know that’s not God’s intention for my life–our lives. I do not doubt that He will provide an incredible gospel community at Covenant, and I know that their are several Christ-centered, missionally-focused churches in the area, but the great longing in my heart to be a part of those communities has also produced an ache in me that I am not yet.

I know that mixed into all my emotions at the moment I am forgetting the sufficiency of His grace, but I am also reminded that “He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Even now, I trust that He is at work in my circumstances. In finding myself alone at many points in the past several days, I have found a desire to be a part of His local church more so than I ever have! I find myself looking forward to 10 a.m. this Sunday in way that I have never experienced! And if that is all that is produced in me out of this experience, then it will certainly have been beautiful in its time.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men
Colossians 3:23

This is the third post in a three part series. Read God first, family second if you have not read them yet.

Now, we have come to the last third of the mantra my mom used to say to me as a kid. God first, family second, and career third. My greatest concern here is for the seminary student, and by extension, the minister. How do you balance career third with God first when your “career” is God? I have been in the ministry for 4+ years and have time and again found this to be a difficulty.

This post is not a how to because I have no idea how to do this. This post is not a this is what I have learned–other than this balance is very difficult to maintain! What this post is is a warning to everyone that it is very easy to allow your “career” in ministry or serving God to become an idol and actually subvert God Himself…all in the name of Christian ministry!

The previous two posts, God first, family secondbus, were my thoughts on how to keep these in proper perspective. Because I have personally yet to figure out how to deal with this third aspect, I (and I can only assume others) would love to hear how you have maintained a balanced approach to keeping your ministerial “career” in check and beneath your loving God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. I humbly submit to you that I have failed numerous times and would love to hear from you.

And a second is like it:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Matthew 22:39

This is the second post of a three post series. The first one, God First, discussed how God should be number one in our lives in everything that we do; specifically, where it concerns the seminary student. As I said in the previous post, this series is based upon a mantra my mom always said to me as a child growing up: God First , family second, career third. I would like to take a look now at where our family fits into the picture.

First and foremost, as has been detailed quite a bit here at Going to Seminary, make sure your spouse is with you as you begin your seminary studies. If your children are old enough to understand what is happening, I would certainly include them on the discussion as your decision to take classes every semester will have a direct impact on their lives, too.

My greatest concern here is the concept of “family second.” It is un-American to think of putting something, in this case Someone, before your family, but the Bible teaches us that we must. Christ referred to this when He answered the lawyer as to what the greatest commandment was and then followed that up with, “And a second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself” Mt 22:39. He concluded His answer with verse 40, “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

While finishing your seminary degree, you will sometimes be challenged by why you are “putting your family” though all of the rigor that is required to complete said degree. The answer must always be because God has called you. Yes, your family is second to God. Yes, there will be seasons (think mid-terms, finals, and papers) where you really won’t get to see your family. However, this does not mean that you should not consider your family’s well-being.

You must regularly consult your spouse and children (if they are of age) as you get deeper and deeper into your degree program. It may mean that you drop down to one or two classes for a semester. There is nothing wrong with allowing your family to help guide you. However, keep in mind that God must be first and therefore you should be praying and asking Him for direction before turning to your family.

The good news is, if God has called you, and your family is on your side so-to-speak, then you will find that during those lean times of seminary, your spouse and children will become closer. You will (hopefully) look back on your seminary career with fondness and see how the Lord used that time to make you a better father or mother and spouse.

May you use your time in seminary to begin to cement your legacy in the lives of your children!

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Deut. 6:5

I was raised in a nominal Catholic home, but there are a few theological points my mom would make that actually make sense. One of those was the saying, “God first, family second, career third.” I would like to spend the next three posts discussing how we can apply this little mantra to our lives as seminary students and ministers.

Jewish children would learn Deut. 6:4-9 as one unit. Verse 4 was known as the Shema, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” With that massive theological statement as the foundation for all of Jewish Law, Moses instructed them to love God with everything: heart, mind, and soul. Later when Jesus Christ was asked what the greatest commandment was in all of Jewish Law, He quotes Deut. 6:5 to which the lawyer replied that Jesus was correct.

What does this exactly mean and how do we apply it to our seminary education and ministry lives not to mention our lives in general? Obviously, every thought we have should be of giving glory to God. Every act we do should be to give God glory. Even more obvious, we fail every day in following just this one command! Oh! the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior!

As a seminary student, a husband, a father, and a minister I have discovered that putting God first is extremely difficult. I lose focus on God sometimes as a student. I certainly lose focus on God as a husband and father. Even as a minister, I have been fleshly in my approach to ministry on occasion. I would like to specifically look at our seminary studies and putting God first.

Putting God first is perhaps the easiest thing to do even though it is the hardest. It is so easy to get wrapped up in reading and writing and studying and lose God even though you are studying about God! I have discovered that keeping up with devotional reading of my Bible to be extremely helpful in maintaining my true focus as to why I am in seminary. Sure, during my devotional reading, I will think to some homework assignment, but is not that the way our devotional life should be? Why can’t the rest of our life be affected by our conversations with God in our devotions?

Secondly, praying helps me to focus on God and His will for my life. Do I take that class or do I drop this one? I continue to discipline my heart and mind to only make decisions regarding seminary studies after bringing it before the Lord. Once I get a particular leading, I will discuss with my wife what she thinks. Hopefully, by that time, I know what God will have me do.

Finally, talking with other godly men in my life. It is so easy to think that you are the only one in a crisis or needing to make a major decision, but the more you talk with others, the more you realize you are just one of many. Talk to those men in your life who have been there and done that. They have more wisdom in that area than you know. Who knows, maybe they will save you from making a major mistake!

In conclusion, strive to make sure God is first in everything you do. As Christ said, “for apart from me you can do nothing.”