I think it is very important that preachers of today need to be seminary trained .

[Delbert Vaughn]

i say that because there are no more dumb folk in the church and i feel that it is a sad day for the preacher if he has somebody in the congregation that knows more about the bible than the preacher. Also i feel that if the pulpit is dumb then the pews are dumb.

[Eric Hancock]

I agree,however we too have suffered many things in life. For Christ sake we will go through storms of life but we must stw anchored in the lord,with Christ we still will go through things but there will come a time where we should be over commers of the storm..bad things happens to good people,

[Eric Hancock]

So true

[Elder Clarence E. Bell Jr.]

I agree with training but seminary training is not always available to everyone. But the Bible plainly shows that God will grant wisdom to those that seek Him. Our congregations should not call preachers just because of a "degree" our lack of one. Seek God not man. You ask thought provoking questions. Keep us sharp I don't respond every nut on here LOL !

[Elder Peggy Kendrick]

There is nothing wrong with Seminary training, but there is no training like the training that comes from the Lord. I know my preaching is not sharpened by seminary. It is sharpened by the anointing from the Lord. I know that each improved sermon is from the Increase I received from the Lord. Be Blessed

[Eddie Huff]

Bro. Vaughn,

I am conflicted on this because while I understand what you are saying, I disagree with the end conclusion.

Booker T. Washington attended seminary for one year and was so disgusted by what he found that he left with a disdain for such institutions thereafter. He did not forsake the Lord, or faith in the Living God,but he forsook the substitution of puffed up so-called intellect for true wisdom and knowledge that come from on high. Tuskegee,in fact trained ministers as a part of its offering. Dr. Washington made sure that every minister Tuskegee produced was practically trained in how to affect black culture and society in a way that would uplift the common man and woman in every way.

I attended seminary in a Masters of Divinity program for 2 years and I, like Dr. Washington left fairly disillusioned. Two events changed my life and convinced me that there was a better way.

The first event was at a weekly bible study among some of the M.Div. students and spouses, with other friends. One night the wife of a friend spoke up in near tears saying she could not continue to come because she could no longer understand a word of what we were saying. She said that we, the M.Div. students were teaching to see who could out do the other and in a realm that lost the common person. I was convicted, she was right and had nailed us.

The second event was when some high school and college kids wanted to witness at a large secular concert. They looked up to me and asked me to go with them and lead them. As we got to the venue and saw 30,000 young people waiting to get into this festival, the kids got excited and took off witnessing. Meanwhile I, the seminary student, became instantly aware that I could not relate to these heathen kids. Nothing that I learned at seminary was of real value at this moment and in the trenches. I was so ashamed looking around seeing high school and college kids with no seminary training sharing the gospel with crowds of unsaved people while I had nothing to say. I instantly repented and asked the Lord to deliver me from my knowledge and give me the words led by his Holy Spirit. I then sought out the hardest and heathen looking group of kids I could find and went right up to the leader asking if he knew Jesus. Feeling threatened he took me on and for the next 20 minutes we discussed and a crowd gathered. I did not rely upon my great knowledge of Greek, Systematic Theology, Higher Criticism, or even Apologetics. All I could think of was how Jesus came, died, rose, is coming again and what that meant for that young man and all of those listening.

What I do credit seminary with and why I am conflicted, is that it taught me how to research and find what I need in my study of the Word and elements of Christianity. This could be taught, as it was in the earlier centuries of America, along side classical studies, however.

What am saying is that some form of higher theological training is to be desired. But not at the expense of the the pure simplicity of the Gospel that every man and woman truly transformed by an encounter with the Holy spirit possesses.

[Dr. Philip Ludwick]

This definitely is an interesting subject to discuss. I have known men that did not have seminary training, but were and are still today mighty men of God. On the other hand, I have known men who were very highly educated and when it came to practical things were dumb as a box of rocks. I hold a masters in Religious Education and a Doctorate in Counseling. All of that is nothing if I do not have the Holy Ghost to help me and annoint the Word that I am about to preach. I am all for education, but I am also all for a man to be Holy Ghost filled and annointed when he enters the sacred desk of God. Education without the annointing is vain. However, God also tells us to Study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needs not to be ashamed. We are to be good stewards of the Word. No matter if we attended seminary or went through the school of hard knocks the main point is to Study! We need to get into the Word and STUDY!!

[Virginia J Boykin]

I disagree If God has ordained you he qualifies you, the Holy Spirit teaches you all things. You can study in your home under the leadership of God and with your pastor, you dont have to pay someone to learn about God. That is my opinion. If you want to go to school to you can if you choose but you don't have to be in school ahvea divinity degree to preach the gospel. The world likes to turn alot of things around. We tend tyo get caught up in the world's way of thinking but God qualifies and told everyone to witness so everyone should be telling others the good news anyway.

[Karvelis Flowers]

I have graduated with a B.A. in Religion and am working on my Masters in Christian Formation and Ministry... however; I know that God has taught me more than what I could have ever learned through my studies. I have sat under might men and women of God who have had little to no formal education; not even a high school diploma. God took those who were considered to be the lowest of men and called them to be his disciples. I would give up all of my formal education to experience what my predecessors have seen and experienced in the Gospel. Sometimes I believe that some people who have received formal education have lost their zeal due to the pride that they have in their paper. Your degree can't cast out a demon or raise the dead...only the anointing of God can do that. All of the methods and "7 Steps to building a successful ministry" will cause the favor of God to fall on you if you don't have a relationship with him. Sometimes ministers believe that if they can get the degree than they will get the mega church position. Education with out the anointing of God, the power of God and demonstration of God just makes you a babbling fool!

[Pastor Maurice Johnson]

Although I am big on education, it is not important that a preacher goes to seminary. What is important is that they are called by God. God uses ordinary people. As long as God has called them into the ministry, that is what is important. I know a lot of people who went to seminary, that God did not call into the ministry. Brother, if God can use me, he can use anybody. I am the last person I ever thought would be in the pulpit, but when God called me, I had to follow what God was telling me to do. God has used my past to bring others to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Everything satan tried to kill me with, is now being used to bring glory to the name of Jesus Christ. Don't ever think that you are better than another man, just because you have a degree given by man. Let me ask you this, do you have a degree given by God? God has appointed, and annointed me to do what he wants me to do. God can use your past experience more than he can use a school or a seminary, not to put down any school or seminary. If you surrender and submit to God, and allow yourself to be used by him, he can use anyone.

God bless you,
Maurice Jonson
Pastor
One Step Ministry

[Eric M. Mackey]

I very much appreciate this discussion. Seminary schools have helped a lot of called servants to come before a more educated population--certainly in this country--and a more educated Christian population in specific. I am therefore not hostile to the institution of seminary schools. But what do you say to someone like m?. Now, I have read enough profiles to see that many people on the network refer to themselves as prophets and bishops. I don't knock that, however. But I have a basis for feeling extremely proud of my service to the Lord. I admit that a lot of times I don't feel proud. And that is of the devil.

For instance, I have been told that I am a great preacher. And if you visit my website you will find three rather well done books on grace. The third of the three books won't actually be formally released until early to mid February. I feel reluctant, though it is true, to say that two other books will be released possibly in late February and March, respectively. Moreover, I am good evidence that God can take advanced education, which i am fortunate to have, and use it for service to His great name. For not many people would think that God could take PhD in political science and convert that training to theological applications. But the Lord, not Mackey, is calling me a theologian after the writing of about twenty books on His generosity in Christ Jesus. I am not known as yet. The first book came out in late 2008 and the second in January of this year.

But tell me dear brother, how do I proceed? I am afraid of being too bold and of being to passive or modest.

Sincerely,

Eric M. Mackey.

[Trevor T. Greene]

Technically speaking, the Church itself was ORIGINALLY designed to be the Seminary that all ministers learned from. What would you say of a man/woman of GOD that has not gone to get the paper degree from Such-n-Such College, and yet are doing the work better than "Bishop____D.D., Th.D."?

[Rev. Richard Lee Bishop]

Hi Delbert Vaugh;
You might be more educated, or know more about the bible than the pastor or preacher.
But Knowing more just makes you educated.
Pastors should not influenced by Controlling people who use their Church position, power to carry out there own agendas. The Curcch belongs to God\!
But The man of God is called to Study Him or hersef to be approved rightly dividing Gods word.
And thats were Gods wisdom out ways education. One can have to much education, but not the Holy Spirit.
Rev. Richard L. Bishop