Well done. Thinking backwards is critical to designing processes to produce the desired result. One thing I missed in your list of 7 (8 is not so holy!) is a clear focus on the Great Commission and the worldwide mission of the church. An outward focus is incumbent on an effective church. I helped found an undergraduate seminary in Venezuela and we made numerous mistakes over the last 21 years. However, one thing we did well was a clear focus on the practice of ministry which fulfills the mission of the church. That has produced thousands of new believers and continues to multiply in Venezuela and at least 8 (there it is again) other countries. Blessings on you.
Dr. Watson, thank you for this piece. As representatives of Jesus Christ and His Church, I believe ministers need to live incarnationally and reveal the Christ in them through acts of mercy and compassion - ministers should meet folks in their messiness and brokenness before attempting to redirect them to a better way found only in Jesus Christ. Ministers should have nothing to do with pandering to the whims and caprices and itching ears of their members but should speak the truth in love knowing that teachers will be judged more strictly. Ministers should always be humble and embody Jesus Christ. Often times, folks think because they are seminary trained and have a "Master of Divinity" they have mastered the divine which can sometimes come across as unintended arrogance. Ministers should always be mindful that there is always a lot more to learn and should therefore be diligent students of the Bible and other resources to grow in the grace and knowledge of God. Ministers should not only invite folks to come to Jesus for rest as He invites in Matthew 11, but they should also model for their congregants what that rest looks like. Always a blessing to read your posts. Grace and peace!
As I was reading this article, I was embarrassed that it had never even occurred to me to pray for seminary students, faculty, or administrators (perhaps because I was raised in a tradition that discouraged seminary). I made our seminaries the focus of my prayer time this morning, and I could feel the heart of the Holy Spirit yearning to light them on fire with the love of Jesus. Thank you for stirring me up to good works. I don’t think I will ever be able to ignore this subject again.
I suspect you would include this in one of the seven points, but ministers should be prepared for spiritual warfare. I am grateful for the professors who take holiness (battling my flesh) and deliverance (battling evil entities) seriously and prepared me for it as best they could.
TL;DR Ministers should go to Cuba at least once. IYKYK
Re apologetics, I'd like to see a fusion of the strengths of the best of philosophy of religion and analytic philosophy and the apologetic of lived/embodied nonviolent witness that our Anabaptist, African American, and majority-world siblings in the faith carry out so well. Anabaptist and other Pietist/holiness groups as well; this week I read of early Salvation Army members in 1870s or 80s being thrown in a creek in Battle Creek, Michigan, one dragged through the streets with mud and likely horse manure all over his face, arrested, only to go back out and continue street preaching. In a different setting, horrific war in Liberia finally ground to a halt when women initiated and led public prayer and peaceful protest, Christian and Muslim women then coming together and working together to stop the killing, suffering, and assault. Several later won the Nobel Peace Prize.
I think there's a lot of opportunity for creative, interdisciplinary cross-fertilization when witness is rigorously intellectual, communally doxological, and bold in physically placing one's body in the way of brutality. By the time the Apostle Paul died he probably had post-concussive symptoms and was likely missing quite a few teeth - you don't usually keep all your teeth when you're getting beaten up.
How do we know, and how do we witness? Questions for philosophy, worship, creation care, and for intercultural/anthropological/missiological studies.
Very long-winded way of saying interdisciplinary studies, I suppose!
Well done. Thinking backwards is critical to designing processes to produce the desired result. One thing I missed in your list of 7 (8 is not so holy!) is a clear focus on the Great Commission and the worldwide mission of the church. An outward focus is incumbent on an effective church. I helped found an undergraduate seminary in Venezuela and we made numerous mistakes over the last 21 years. However, one thing we did well was a clear focus on the practice of ministry which fulfills the mission of the church. That has produced thousands of new believers and continues to multiply in Venezuela and at least 8 (there it is again) other countries. Blessings on you.
IMHO you hit the nail with a sledge hammer of what is NOT being taught. I am a part-time local pastor, son of a retired elder… I never heard him speak of those seven points being taught (he had to attend spiritual retreats etc…). Attending the same seminary, neither did I. On many occasion I have expressed my concern how seminaries are not grooming spiritual leaders.
Think I am going to keep this and use for the church - as we should have a similar mind-set of instructing new disciples.
Well done. Thinking backwards is critical to designing processes to produce the desired result. One thing I missed in your list of 7 (8 is not so holy!) is a clear focus on the Great Commission and the worldwide mission of the church. An outward focus is incumbent on an effective church. I helped found an undergraduate seminary in Venezuela and we made numerous mistakes over the last 21 years. However, one thing we did well was a clear focus on the practice of ministry which fulfills the mission of the church. That has produced thousands of new believers and continues to multiply in Venezuela and at least 8 (there it is again) other countries. Blessings on you.
Dr. Watson, thank you for this piece. As representatives of Jesus Christ and His Church, I believe ministers need to live incarnationally and reveal the Christ in them through acts of mercy and compassion - ministers should meet folks in their messiness and brokenness before attempting to redirect them to a better way found only in Jesus Christ. Ministers should have nothing to do with pandering to the whims and caprices and itching ears of their members but should speak the truth in love knowing that teachers will be judged more strictly. Ministers should always be humble and embody Jesus Christ. Often times, folks think because they are seminary trained and have a "Master of Divinity" they have mastered the divine which can sometimes come across as unintended arrogance. Ministers should always be mindful that there is always a lot more to learn and should therefore be diligent students of the Bible and other resources to grow in the grace and knowledge of God. Ministers should not only invite folks to come to Jesus for rest as He invites in Matthew 11, but they should also model for their congregants what that rest looks like. Always a blessing to read your posts. Grace and peace!
Great thoughts, Debo!
As I was reading this article, I was embarrassed that it had never even occurred to me to pray for seminary students, faculty, or administrators (perhaps because I was raised in a tradition that discouraged seminary). I made our seminaries the focus of my prayer time this morning, and I could feel the heart of the Holy Spirit yearning to light them on fire with the love of Jesus. Thank you for stirring me up to good works. I don’t think I will ever be able to ignore this subject again.
I suspect you would include this in one of the seven points, but ministers should be prepared for spiritual warfare. I am grateful for the professors who take holiness (battling my flesh) and deliverance (battling evil entities) seriously and prepared me for it as best they could.
TL;DR Ministers should go to Cuba at least once. IYKYK
Yes!
These could be used as questions during BOM interviews with ordination candidates.
Re apologetics, I'd like to see a fusion of the strengths of the best of philosophy of religion and analytic philosophy and the apologetic of lived/embodied nonviolent witness that our Anabaptist, African American, and majority-world siblings in the faith carry out so well. Anabaptist and other Pietist/holiness groups as well; this week I read of early Salvation Army members in 1870s or 80s being thrown in a creek in Battle Creek, Michigan, one dragged through the streets with mud and likely horse manure all over his face, arrested, only to go back out and continue street preaching. In a different setting, horrific war in Liberia finally ground to a halt when women initiated and led public prayer and peaceful protest, Christian and Muslim women then coming together and working together to stop the killing, suffering, and assault. Several later won the Nobel Peace Prize.
I think there's a lot of opportunity for creative, interdisciplinary cross-fertilization when witness is rigorously intellectual, communally doxological, and bold in physically placing one's body in the way of brutality. By the time the Apostle Paul died he probably had post-concussive symptoms and was likely missing quite a few teeth - you don't usually keep all your teeth when you're getting beaten up.
How do we know, and how do we witness? Questions for philosophy, worship, creation care, and for intercultural/anthropological/missiological studies.
Very long-winded way of saying interdisciplinary studies, I suppose!
Well done. Thinking backwards is critical to designing processes to produce the desired result. One thing I missed in your list of 7 (8 is not so holy!) is a clear focus on the Great Commission and the worldwide mission of the church. An outward focus is incumbent on an effective church. I helped found an undergraduate seminary in Venezuela and we made numerous mistakes over the last 21 years. However, one thing we did well was a clear focus on the practice of ministry which fulfills the mission of the church. That has produced thousands of new believers and continues to multiply in Venezuela and at least 8 (there it is again) other countries. Blessings on you.
WOW David!
IMHO you hit the nail with a sledge hammer of what is NOT being taught. I am a part-time local pastor, son of a retired elder… I never heard him speak of those seven points being taught (he had to attend spiritual retreats etc…). Attending the same seminary, neither did I. On many occasion I have expressed my concern how seminaries are not grooming spiritual leaders.
Think I am going to keep this and use for the church - as we should have a similar mind-set of instructing new disciples.
Thank you for your thoughts
Hans
Let's encourage seminaries to move in this direction, Hans. Change is possible.