Thursday, September 20, 2007
A Call for a New Kind of Seminary
The current method of seminary just doesn't work. Perhaps in years past it was a great idea, but the present local Church has suffered greatly because of the seminaries. The local Church has suffered in the following ways:
What I propose is that the local Churches take back seminary, literally. I'm not saying we should reform our institutions, but rather that we should move the physical location of learning back to the Churches themselves. Look, knowing the deep truths of the Bible is not something that should be reserved for clergy. We are all responsible for our faith, and in fact, any of us may be called to act in clergy-like roles. After all, we are God's priesthood. Why should the local Church not provide full theological training to anyone who wants it? Should knowing God and His word not be the right of every child of God?
Now, to make this happen will require quite a lot of work. First of all, those who have been gifted academically need to stop being greedy. Now, everyone knows that authors usually don't make much money, but that doesn't mean they aren't greedy. Many of them view their work as "theirs", and guard it jealously. They don't want any unauthorized reproductions - least of all unauthorized mass reproductions. And heaven for bid such information be freely available on the Internet!
The truth is, those who are gifted academically need to acknowledge that their gift is from God and that it is their responsibility to share that gift with the whole Church. Anything else is boasting in yourself of what God has freely given. This isn't to say that such people should not be paid. There are many avenues of payment that don't require that knowledge be withheld from those who thirst for it. Pastor's frequently make tape recordings of their sermons and hand them out to anyone who asks, and they still get paid. The fact is, the secular world is already understanding this, and us Christians just can't seem to understand this "sharing" concept.
It will also take dedication from the lay people. They aren't used to having anything either required of them, or even to attain such heights. They will have to be coached, and let them know that yes they CAN learn about God. Yes, it isn't just people in dark robes who can analyze scripture. It is every Christian's right to know God's word. In fact, it is a responsibility to know it, and know how to use it. But when was the last time a Church taught the basics of Biblical Interpretation? When have they taught the ancient languages?
In addition, we need to stop viewing pastorship as a lifelong notion. Certainly there will be some, if not many lifelong pastors. However, we should not perceive this as a foregone conclusion. In Paul's churches, the people who took the reigns of the Church after him were those who labored with him. He did not need to send out a search committee for pastors. They were already in the midst of the Church. God can raise up leaders from within. We don't have to look high and low for them. They are already here. If we bothered to teach our lay members, they would have the capacity to take the lead when needed.
Paul taught. In Ephesus he taught for hours each day for many years. Ephesus became a mighty Church. When it was persecuted, it caused many Churches to spring up in the surrounding areas. You see, the lay members had been well-taught, so when it was time, they were easily ready to take the leadership role. They didn't have to wait and find a pastor, or wait for some new kid to pass through seminary. The people were already educated.
So am I just complaining, or do I have a plan? Well, I have the beginnings of a plan. With your prayers and your help, you might be able to help me make this a reality. I estimate it will take 10 to 15 years to make this happen, but I think it can be done. Here's what I'm thinking of:
By going through this process, one course at a time, we can develop a full seminary education that's available to any person who wants to love God with all of their mind. It will bring academia back to the Church, and remove the current separation.
- The divide between lay and clergy is too wide. Lay people need access to more in-depth Biblical training, and pastors need more real-life experience.
- The divide between the Church and the seminary is too wide. Seminaries often no longer reflect who Christ is, but instead try to be secular institutions which happen to teach theological ideas, rather than being an extension of the Church.
- The seminaries which are gospel-focused have often lost their academic footings, and place the Church in jeopardy for lack of reasoned ideas.
- Seminaries require potential clergy to take on huge debt loads, while debt is not something that Christians should be encouraging.
What I propose is that the local Churches take back seminary, literally. I'm not saying we should reform our institutions, but rather that we should move the physical location of learning back to the Churches themselves. Look, knowing the deep truths of the Bible is not something that should be reserved for clergy. We are all responsible for our faith, and in fact, any of us may be called to act in clergy-like roles. After all, we are God's priesthood. Why should the local Church not provide full theological training to anyone who wants it? Should knowing God and His word not be the right of every child of God?
Now, to make this happen will require quite a lot of work. First of all, those who have been gifted academically need to stop being greedy. Now, everyone knows that authors usually don't make much money, but that doesn't mean they aren't greedy. Many of them view their work as "theirs", and guard it jealously. They don't want any unauthorized reproductions - least of all unauthorized mass reproductions. And heaven for bid such information be freely available on the Internet!
The truth is, those who are gifted academically need to acknowledge that their gift is from God and that it is their responsibility to share that gift with the whole Church. Anything else is boasting in yourself of what God has freely given. This isn't to say that such people should not be paid. There are many avenues of payment that don't require that knowledge be withheld from those who thirst for it. Pastor's frequently make tape recordings of their sermons and hand them out to anyone who asks, and they still get paid. The fact is, the secular world is already understanding this, and us Christians just can't seem to understand this "sharing" concept.
It will also take dedication from the lay people. They aren't used to having anything either required of them, or even to attain such heights. They will have to be coached, and let them know that yes they CAN learn about God. Yes, it isn't just people in dark robes who can analyze scripture. It is every Christian's right to know God's word. In fact, it is a responsibility to know it, and know how to use it. But when was the last time a Church taught the basics of Biblical Interpretation? When have they taught the ancient languages?
In addition, we need to stop viewing pastorship as a lifelong notion. Certainly there will be some, if not many lifelong pastors. However, we should not perceive this as a foregone conclusion. In Paul's churches, the people who took the reigns of the Church after him were those who labored with him. He did not need to send out a search committee for pastors. They were already in the midst of the Church. God can raise up leaders from within. We don't have to look high and low for them. They are already here. If we bothered to teach our lay members, they would have the capacity to take the lead when needed.
Paul taught. In Ephesus he taught for hours each day for many years. Ephesus became a mighty Church. When it was persecuted, it caused many Churches to spring up in the surrounding areas. You see, the lay members had been well-taught, so when it was time, they were easily ready to take the leadership role. They didn't have to wait and find a pastor, or wait for some new kid to pass through seminary. The people were already educated.
So am I just complaining, or do I have a plan? Well, I have the beginnings of a plan. With your prayers and your help, you might be able to help me make this a reality. I estimate it will take 10 to 15 years to make this happen, but I think it can be done. Here's what I'm thinking of:
- Find a teacher
- The teacher teaches one course at a time. The courses are videotaped.
- To start out with, the courses will utilize standard, copyrighted textbooks. Hopefully these can be replaced with open ones over time.
- When future students take the course, they simply download the videos.
- The teacher is available to answer questions and comment on homework (yes, there would still be homework).
- The students can do the course and homework at ANY pace. When they finish a homework item, they pass it on to the teacher.
- The teacher examines and comments on the homework, and tells the student whether the student should spend more time studying the subject or should continue on further. The teacher also provides additional insight to aide the student's thinking.
By going through this process, one course at a time, we can develop a full seminary education that's available to any person who wants to love God with all of their mind. It will bring academia back to the Church, and remove the current separation.
Permanent Link posted by crevo @ 7:46 PM 
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It sounds like a great idea. Maybe there is room for both? Someone who may be interested in the video project is pastor and professor at Regent college in Vancouver, Ross Hastings. He is an amazing teacher and preacher and is very missional. Our congregation, Peace Portal Alliance in White Rock,BC, was taught and challenged by DR. Ross. He would be an excellent choice.
The mystery of ancestral descent
This is tale which tells what recessive genes hold, what inbreeding cause's and what degenerate animals look like.
A male lion breeds with a female tiger, makes a liger of great size!
2
a male leopard breed with a female lion brings forth a leopon. Which not only has the size and strength of the lion but also has the climbing abilities of the leopard.
3
All that has so far been said, is recognized by science.
4
Now into the realm of what has not yet been 'validated' (by science).
5
All the other cats are said to interbreed
from time to time.
6
The division of Species is based on the idea that, only members of the same 'Species' can indeed breed.
But if all cats ( including the Egyptian house cat) can breed, they are not different Species but only subspecies of the original cat.
Now, if the liger is bigger and the leopon is of the same size and better. Then it comes to reason that the original cat from off the Ark was a super cat.
Scientists say that the "extra" abilities that come out of these 'hybrids' are caused by "recessive genes"
Recessive Genes are created by inbreeding.
Now here is the part that might interest a historian.
Gen 7:2
"Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female."
In this I think that the clean animals were allowed to descend without inbreeding and therefore pure. While the others were forced into inbreeding, which caused their abilities to go into 'Recessive genes'. The ancients had enough trouble with the lions, tigers, etc. So this might have been set to preserve man. Did you know that in India they breed the wild dog with the wolf to get a bigger breed. This alone means nothing, except that there is a story whcih appeared shortly after the flood. No later that 500 years, or 600, or 700, etc, after the flood. The story told of a great king who had wolves so great that his men were able to ride upon them, for they were far greater than any horse.
Maybe I'm going nowhere, but if only two cats, two dogs, two bears, etc, walked off the Ark. Then I say that it would immediately force inbreeding, which in turn would force abilities to go into recessive genes. And (to the point) would force the super Cat to degenerate into the lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah and house cat that we have today.
I'm sorry I couldn't help joking and calling the lion and tiger a degenerate.
"In the production of pure breeds of sheep, cattle, hogs, and horses inbreeding has frequently been practiced extensively, and where in such cases selection has been made of the more vigorous offspring as parents, it is doubtful whether any diminution in size, vigor, or fertility has resulted. Nevertheless it very frequently happens that when two pure breeds are crossed, the offspring surpass either pure race in size and vigor."
Sudden Origins by Jeffrey H. Schwartz
The tiger is either a pure breed are a degenerate species!
Or I say.
They are one and the same..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Else, the reason why the clean were in sevens as opposed to the others.
Genetic research (and this basic reasoning and breeding) has shown that every type of wolf, dog, fox and coyote etc. came from the 1 original wolf.
Scott, John Paul and John L. Fuller Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog
Behaviour of Wolves, Dogs and Related Canines (Hardcover) by Michael W. Fox
Mitochondrial Eve (mt-mrca)
"Mitochondrial Eve is the ...........common ancestor (MRCA) of all human via the mitochondrial DNA pathway . In other words, she is the MRCA found when ancestry of all living humans is traced back in time, following only the maternal lineage. Mitochondrial DNA pathway is equivalent to maternal lineage, because Mitochondrial DNA is only passed down from mother to child, never father to child. [1]"
Camel-Llama-alpaca
All known subspecies of the "horse" are known to breed!
1 Last thing.
this theory is observable & testable, in that you can breed new 'breeds' of dogs in just a few years. But each of these will have less 'ablities' than the last.
Just take 2 dogs (of your choice) & place them in a zoo. Now there children will be fine but as there children breed with each other you will see the same thing happen. Only it will go ten times further than before.
Kentish Son
I am sending this into the world because I want to get the word out.
This is tale which tells what recessive genes hold, what inbreeding cause's and what degenerate animals look like.
A male lion breeds with a female tiger, makes a liger of great size!
2
a male leopard breed with a female lion brings forth a leopon. Which not only has the size and strength of the lion but also has the climbing abilities of the leopard.
3
All that has so far been said, is recognized by science.
4
Now into the realm of what has not yet been 'validated' (by science).
5
All the other cats are said to interbreed
from time to time.
6
The division of Species is based on the idea that, only members of the same 'Species' can indeed breed.
But if all cats ( including the Egyptian house cat) can breed, they are not different Species but only subspecies of the original cat.
Now, if the liger is bigger and the leopon is of the same size and better. Then it comes to reason that the original cat from off the Ark was a super cat.
Scientists say that the "extra" abilities that come out of these 'hybrids' are caused by "recessive genes"
Recessive Genes are created by inbreeding.
Now here is the part that might interest a historian.
Gen 7:2
"Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female."
In this I think that the clean animals were allowed to descend without inbreeding and therefore pure. While the others were forced into inbreeding, which caused their abilities to go into 'Recessive genes'. The ancients had enough trouble with the lions, tigers, etc. So this might have been set to preserve man. Did you know that in India they breed the wild dog with the wolf to get a bigger breed. This alone means nothing, except that there is a story whcih appeared shortly after the flood. No later that 500 years, or 600, or 700, etc, after the flood. The story told of a great king who had wolves so great that his men were able to ride upon them, for they were far greater than any horse.
Maybe I'm going nowhere, but if only two cats, two dogs, two bears, etc, walked off the Ark. Then I say that it would immediately force inbreeding, which in turn would force abilities to go into recessive genes. And (to the point) would force the super Cat to degenerate into the lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah and house cat that we have today.
I'm sorry I couldn't help joking and calling the lion and tiger a degenerate.
"In the production of pure breeds of sheep, cattle, hogs, and horses inbreeding has frequently been practiced extensively, and where in such cases selection has been made of the more vigorous offspring as parents, it is doubtful whether any diminution in size, vigor, or fertility has resulted. Nevertheless it very frequently happens that when two pure breeds are crossed, the offspring surpass either pure race in size and vigor."
Sudden Origins by Jeffrey H. Schwartz
The tiger is either a pure breed are a degenerate species!
Or I say.
They are one and the same..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Else, the reason why the clean were in sevens as opposed to the others.
Genetic research (and this basic reasoning and breeding) has shown that every type of wolf, dog, fox and coyote etc. came from the 1 original wolf.
Scott, John Paul and John L. Fuller Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog
Behaviour of Wolves, Dogs and Related Canines (Hardcover) by Michael W. Fox
Mitochondrial Eve (mt-mrca)
"Mitochondrial Eve is the ...........common ancestor (MRCA) of all human via the mitochondrial DNA pathway . In other words, she is the MRCA found when ancestry of all living humans is traced back in time, following only the maternal lineage. Mitochondrial DNA pathway is equivalent to maternal lineage, because Mitochondrial DNA is only passed down from mother to child, never father to child. [1]"
Camel-Llama-alpaca
All known subspecies of the "horse" are known to breed!
1 Last thing.
this theory is observable & testable, in that you can breed new 'breeds' of dogs in just a few years. But each of these will have less 'ablities' than the last.
Just take 2 dogs (of your choice) & place them in a zoo. Now there children will be fine but as there children breed with each other you will see the same thing happen. Only it will go ten times further than before.
Kentish Son
I am sending this into the world because I want to get the word out.
When I was young, in the 50's, church was like this. Children attended Training Union (or the like), not entertainment time. Children actually sat in on sermons, not Children's Church (i.e. entertainment). We had Sword Drills,district-wide. I participated in Youth for Christ Bible Quizzes, where we memorized whole chapters to be able to answer questions. Nationally. By the time I entered college, I had the true equivalent of a seminary education, minus the Hebrew and Greek, and I would have had those if I had lived a hundred years earlier. I was so dissapointed the first time I attended a college Sunday School class to find them back at a kindergarten level, I never got over it. I am thankful that Calvary Chapel came along to partially rectify the matter. Yes, Christians need to be equipped for the ministry!!!!
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