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.

[Pastor Melvin King]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (LOL)!!!!! sigh,

[Apostle Dr. James D. Jackson]

Two people can get the same education, and yet not have the same message. The kingdom of God is builded on one foundation, Jesus Christ. We come to build on to the structure, and to do that we need all kinds of workers to get the job done. We do not choice God but God choices us. God does not misplace anybody, He choose us according to His purpose. Now, that does not mean we do not take the opportunity to develop our gifts or talents. In Gen 2:17, we are to tend and keep. (To be responsible and accountable for what in you so you can be responsible and accountable for what around you.) To use the Spirit of God in us to use the Anointing of God around us, Just like Jesus.

[Pastor Melvin King]

God bless you Apostle.
What Apostle Jackson has said sums it all up. I agree with his every word. For the first time of this entire discussion, I have no words. There is nothing that can be added, and nothing should be taken away from what he has spoken. I think we should all pause in this discussion and seriously contemplate and meditate upon what he has said. Thank you for that wisdom Sir. You have blessed my soul. I felt that one.

[Ryan D. McDonald, Sr.]

I hope I make sense in saying this, but it sounded to me that he was saying to use the structures around us to develop our gifts and talents, and to allow the Holy Spirit and God's anointing to permeate in this development, which include going to seminary, but definitely receiving some formal training.

[Archbishop, Dr.D.Ashlock PhD]

Seminary trained is ok, but you can't obtain the Holly Ghost, love your brothern or be kind to homeless
people at a school. But you can learn scripture, how to hoop and how to beg for money at a seminary.
Some preachers go into the ministry as a business and I quest that's ok for them, I came to serve the Lord and his creations.

[Bishop S. JaNine Hyman, Ph.D.]

Bishop Ashlock, with all DUE respect Sir, the things you espouse just do not ring true. I see no basis for these conclusions--but I do see quite a bit of BIAS here. Those of us who are bishops, in particular, because of our rank, duty to gaurd and defend the faith, and our mandate to pursuade men and women in righteousness, we must be very careful what we teach and speak. After all, we're going to have to answer for our influence!

Let me give a few facts: when I first attended seminary, we took a class that literaully put us out in the streets, with little support and money, so we could become familiar with the streets, and know how to relate to the impoverished and downtrodden, etc. Needless to say, due to times being so bad now, they discontinued the class. But we learend how to be kind to the homeless IN SCHOOL.

Why would school keep people loving their brethen? I do not understand this reasoning. It was in seminary that I formed very close bonds with other preachers who were trying to make it, and trying to get through graduate school, and with my mentors and teachers whom I still love and respect.

Virginia Union University's School of Theology, one of the most reknowned in the country, has NO class for whooping. In fact, you'd probably get sat down if you tried it in class-lol. I learned to whoop in the holiness/penticostal church where I was spiritually raised. But it was also in this church where I also learned character, integrity, submission, and how to study, study, study for hours so as not to make bufoonery of the preaching event. But it was in seminary that I learned how to correctly construct a sermon and how NOT to BUTCHER scriptures by prooftexting.

We never learned how to beg for money at seminary either....we learned how to properly budget and administrate church finances. We also learned ETHICS! Most of the begging I have seen has not been by the well educated and trained, but I suppose some educated preachers do it too, if folks aren't giving as they should. Who begs MORE than the so-called "Bishops"? Interestingly, those who have negative perceptions about seminary are often those who have not been. I wonder why these people feel so strongly about seminary, since they have little to no facts upon which to base such feelings. Perhaps, this "lie" has been perpatuated through the years by a few leaders who thought education was not of God--but in this age, we should be exploding myths and challenging error.

This is no disrespect to you or your bishopric Sir, but as a Bishop also, I must speak what I know to be truth also-- and I simply see no basis for such conculsions as you and others make. I agree with Brother Adriel, we cannot make such sweeping generalizations....it boes become mudslinging. The truth is-- there are bad eggs in every sector of ministry.

[Rev. Wanda]

???? There is balance in the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit is the governor of all that we do as it relates to the Kingdom of God. I believe that all things for God should be done in excellence and we should study to show ourselves approved - but we have become so heady in our proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ that we have muddied the message and become so intelligent that we miss the simple message of Jesus saves and a life of faith is a changed life lived according to the principles of God's word. I agree but some of the smartest people we have ever had in church were the mothers and fathers who did not have book learning but believed in the Holy Spirit and stayed in the word of God in deed and in practice.

A degree would disqualify me from many pulpits although I have been ministering for years, raised four children, pastored the ministry God has given me, counseled thousands, and performed every aspect of formal church ministry to include outreach, taken many many college and seminar courses and am a prolific writer and speaker - so be it - I am approved by God!

Rev. Wanda

[Senior Apostle Cauline [ETAMA]]

The Bible shows us that we must study to show ourselves approved. Therefore we must all be trained however I disagree that all must be seminary trained. I have heard misinformation taught from the pulpit from both the seminary educated and the Holy Spirit [self] taught in equal measure! So whether seminary trained or not the very fact that those seated in the congregation are far from dumb, and well able to gain revelation and knowledge for themselves, should serve only to inspire every preacher to raise their game.

[Ryan D. McDonald, Sr.]

Apostle, I am so glad that you shared your thoughts, because when you read the orginal premise of this blog you are saying exactly what Rev. Vaughn was saying that because our flock is so much more educated than in years past as ministers we should further educate ourselves and I add further because so many false teachers and false religion or false lifestyles we have to study so much further! The hour or time is not known but Jesus is coming back and we need to win souls for the kingdom!

[lorenzo neal]

I have read this entire thread and am reminded that this debate is as old as the scriptures themselves. I may be one of the few pastors on here affiliated with a mainline denomination (African Methodism),but in our denomination, persons who feel led to fulfill the calling of God on their lives as a itinerant pastor (ordained elder) must attend school. Before you are even licensed to preach, you must have a bachelors and before you are ordained an itinerant elder in our Zion, you MUST attend a a body of training for five years called the Board of Examiners and graduate from a recognized, approved and accredited seminary. I myself (a teacher by profession and calling) began bible college while still in high school because my pastor understood that even at 15 yrs old, I still needed training because i may choose ministry as a vocation in the near future. Although I am in the process of completing another terminal degree, I have come to realize that it doesnt mean a hill of beans if I have not faith in God and His abilities and His Word. I find it sad that so many preachers believe that attending an accredited seminary (not an online pay a fee and get a degree) would somehow discredit their sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. The reality is very different. Seminary only enhances what God has already imparted to the person yielding themselves to the Holy Spirit.

This does not make one a better preacher or pastor, it just assures training for a minister to effectively and efficiently lead and minister to a laity who now have access to the same resources as the pastor now due to the many christian bookstores, radio and television broadcasts and anything else. I've been in churches where the pastor is highly educated but no earthly or spiritual good and I've been in churches where the pastor has a high school education, but was submissive to God's Holy Spirit and did great teaching, preaching and soul-winning. I'm a proponent of education, but I do realize that without the Holy Spirit's leadership and revelation and empowerment through His gifts, we can do nothing, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

[Steven Perry]

First of all most seminaries in America are not government recognize because of the first amendment to freedom of religion. I do agree in training but who is to say that a seminary has all the answers to every question that is needed to be answered. We cannot put God into a box. God is God. How God qualifies people is completely different as to how man qualifies people. A major company is supported by it customers. So they have to continually have great and trained minds for the purpose of customer service. However the spirit of God operates differently than the mindset of man. God operate in infinity while man we operate in chronos time or chronological time. Time says there is a limit but infinity says there is no limit. God is a spirit and spirits operate in infinity. but, we operate and our lives are measured by time. It is the only thing we have. Now in that time what a person does with both current and pass time can determine a person success for future time. Preachers are who they are because the ones that are called by God are operating in the same time frame and they borrow and share the knowledge that God has given to them based upon the time they use in the spirit with God. Theology is fine. But, the spirit of God is the greatest teacher that there is. A seminary degree cannot compare to an encounter with God. You can never know enough about him. You can never say enough concerning him. You cannot live and think without him.man of God when you get to that point then you will understand that the anointing is greater than knowledge. Just understanding that does leaps and bounds concerning God.

[Ryan D. McDonald, Sr.]

Knowledge plus the anointing is the crux of this debate! Knowledge without the anointing is not ideal, but at the same time the anointing without knowledge is substandard! I have heard many people who don't want to go to school speak only of the anointing, but I have heard not one person who went to school speak only of school!