CHRISTIANS: Would you prefer a pastor who went to seminary or one who just announced a divine call to preach?

Question

Seminary can be described as a graduate school for training potential pastors. I noted that some comments about seminary from Y!A users have made it sound like it's a place where people go to have their faith rung out of them. I wondered if this were a trend among Christians.

Would you prefer a pastor who can read the New Testament Greek and Old Testament Hebrew or one who's dependent on translations?

Would you prefer a pastor who's been trained on how to respond to dilemma's of faith or one who leans on the Holy Spirit in the moment?

Is there any merit in learning some of the nuances of public speaking, or is it better just to speak off the cuff about faith?

Answer 1

I'm a preacher's kid so I'd like to answer this.

My father did not go to seminary but went for 3 years to a Bible institute which was almost exclusively in-depth Bible training. During this time, he learned Greek as well as semester long courses on theology and various books of the Bible as well as basic doctrine.

My brother in law went to 4 years of undergraduate Bible studies and then 3 years of seminary. His son (also a minister) is still working on his seminary training while pastoring a church.

I've been under both types of pastors (seminary graduates and untrained off the cuff ministers), and I feel much more comfortable with sitting under a pastor who has had training from a recognized Bible institute, college or seminary.

1) They are more likely to have an overall understanding of the Bible, and how to tie various scriptures together.
2) They understand the Greek, which often gets to the real meaning of the BIble verses.
3) They have training on theology and can help others to understand.
4) A person who just has a divine call to preach may not be interpreting the word of God accurately.
5) Don't confuse Zeal for understanding scriptures.
6) Those who use zeal as their basis of divine inspiration may or may not have the discipline or understanding necessary to accurately interpret scriptures.
7) Many of the cult figures and even established teachings that lead to denominations were due to different interpretations of scriptures.
8) Take a look at all of the different interpretations just on Yahoo!Answers and you can see why a person needs training in order to be a pastor.
9) Pastors learn more than just the Bible, they also learn counseling and administration. A pastor is one of the toughest jobs because they are constantly being criticized and expected to live a perfect life and the moment they make a mistake...OUCH!

And to those who think pastors make big bucks, think again. My dad is now 84 and retired from pastoring at 75. He never made more than $100 a week as a pastor and worked a full time factory job in addition to his church duties. My brother in law is more fortunate, even with his master's degree he makes less than the average recent college graduate in entry level business.

Answer 2

Hi, I have no formal training, but I became an ordained Minister for the Lord. I was asked by my Pastor to become his Assistant Pastor after being filled with the Holy Ghost for six months and attending his Church for three months. I never wanted to be a Pastor in all my life! I did not have a love for the Lord until after I received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. God called me to be an Apostle about a month earlier. It was a personal revelation from God. I did not think that this was even possible! It blew my mind because I did not even know that there were Apostles today! I only accepted becoming a Pastor because I had a heart to take care of God's people and to share my testimony to encourage others. I am not a good speaker and English was my worse subject, but God gave me a great understanding of the Bible AFTER I received the same Spirit that wrote the Bible. It was as if I wrote the Bible myself and I remembered most of what I read! What a miracle! I had a deep desire to read all the Bible because I realized that the Bible was completely true! In less than 1 year, I was an Assistant Pastor who married to a wonderful Christian woman, became the President of "Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International" in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Chapter and a Christian Radio DJ for WKSH, sharing my testimony in Prisons and Homeless Shelters!

I would definately rather be under a Pastor who has never been to a seminary. It is so much more exciting listening to a man who has a personal relationship with the Lord than one who goes to a school to learn how to think and preach like someone else. A person can learn more in the school of hard knocks instead of a school with a silver spoon in their mouth. How can someone correctly divide God's Word if they do not have God living in them? Although I do admit that there are some good Pastors that come out of some Seminarys, but by personally being an Apostle of the Lord, Jesus, I would never follow a man that was not called by God Himself.

Answer 3

We need a spirit filled pastor, that respond to the Holy Spirit, and also grounded with the word of truth.

As the bible taught that pass on the teaching to the faithful man, in turn, they will teach the faithful man. . and will . . faithful man. . .

St Paul, has always been crisitsed for been a lousy speaker. But he had done well in bringing gospel to the gentile, which is almost all of us minus Jews. He is poor in his speech, but strong in the understanding of the Old Testament (Hebrew and Greek of cause), and was led by the spirit.

So, one cannot do away with the other.

Answer 4

I'm seminary trained, so obviously I'm going to be biased. A seminary education is invaluable. Certainly, one cannot go through seminary without having their faith challenged or even changed. But is that necessarily a bad thing? There are many, many issues in Church history, the history of the transmission and translation of the Biblical text, as well as classical and contemporary theology that enhance one's ministry. Also, when one learns the biblical languages, the biblical story becomes much more profound and colorful. The languages themselves have been an amazing gift. I would prefer a spirit led, educated pastor over an uneducated one who is spirit led. We expect doctors, lawyers, mechanics, and teachers to be educated, so it is difficult for me to understand why someone would want a minister to come from a place of ignorance. Again, I am obviously biased, but that is just my opinion.

Answer 5

I prefer a pastor who was called of God, as was Aaron (refer to Hebrews 5:1-4). Those who attend seminary to become pastors are essentially "calling themselves" to such a position. Their aim is to make a living out of teaching the Gospel, which is not the way Christ wanted.

The pastors in my church (which we call bishops) are called by those in authority, to oversee the ward. Their calling is an unpaid position; it is completely voluntary. They support themselves with regular jobs just like the rest of us. I have even had a bishop who was a recent convert and had only been a member of the church for 3 or 4 years, only had a basic understanding of the Gospel, and he was one of the best I've ever had! The calling of a bishop is made by those of higher authority in the Church, and is guided by the Spirit. A bishop typically serves in that role for a few years, then he is released and a new bishop is called. All of the bishops I have had in my lifetime have been wonderful people. Whom the Lord calls, he qualifies.

Answer 6

It is not good to speak off the cuff about faith -- but that has nothing to do with public speaking. If the pastor is self educated and can correctly represent the bible, or educated via a seminary -- is up to God to decide. Not us.

Answer 7

Some of the great preachers from the past didn't have any formal training but those were the exception and not the rule. Ideally a Pastor will be like my Pastor who had no desire to follow in his father's footsteps but who gave up trying to fight the call on his life. He then got formal training and he's one of the most gifted preachers in this country as he mixes down to earth preaching with encouraging humor always overshadowed by a Biblical context.

http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/enduring_truth/archives.asp

What I definitely wouldn't want was a Pastor who became one because he wanted to and not because God had called him to become one. It wouldn't matter if he had the alphabet after his name in degrees. A Pastor who didn't finish high school but who had the calling of God on his life would be my choice between those two every time!

Answer 8

funny you should say that my husband went to bible college and even went to 2 that lost accreditation and he still has that knowledge, but no degree to use it when a church asks for that and seems to care more about that than their knowledge. he hasn't been to college in 3 years and that lasted less than a year, before that he was actually a wiccan and before that a church of god preacher with just 1 year of Christian college behind him. now he is back to Christ and he has studied many ways. he is a biblical theologists by hobby and passion and we plan on starting a church one day. god told my husband that. he is a wonderful speaker and has been asked to teach a lessons in Church as well as called on the phone for advise and knowledge of a bible direction. he isn't ordained or accredited, but just as knowledgeable as those. the problem is that many who attend those school want money to preach, when teaching the lords words is a calling not a money maker. i tell people to go to those schools myself only to be able to access books and info that isn't always available even with Internet. sometimes a book in hand is a better tool that a web site that may have been written by someone who didn't want things to be know and at the same time some written books can be that way.

Answer 9

Personally...I think it's more important to be called by God and to show people you are real. You have the same issues in your daily life as anyone else...you just have an Ace in the hole...God / Jesus!

As Christians, sometimes we are viewed that we don't have struggles. ((Which is so wrong)). We struggle...but God shows us a way out during those moments of temptation.

I want a Pastor that leans on the Holy Spirit...calls on the name of Jesus anytime of day...and one that can teach me how to grow in Jesus to become more Christ like.

Grace and God bless!

Answer 10

No matter which...you have to make sure that this is the calling for you. Called and chosen by God.
I prefer one that has been called and chosen from God. One who depends souly on the Holy Spirit, and walks by faith..this is the kind of preacher that my dad was. He was taught by God, and fully relies on Him for every breath.
I can not stand a message that is more of a performance than a Word from God...if you ask me, we need more that depend on God, listen to His voice..and as you put it..."who lean on the Holy Spirit in the moment".