Who needs Theological College? Everyone! Well, sort of…
Theological Colleges ideally exist ‘to prepare God’s people for works of service’ (Eph.4:12). But isn’t that what the local church should be doing for all its members? Of course. However, some do it better than others, and some not at all. Nevertheless, some believers begin to sense a call to serve the Lord in a more full-time capacity as pastors and teachers, evangelists, missionaries, church workers, youth leaders etc. Do they need to ‘go to college’ to train to do so?
When I started seminary some 50 years ago, the answer was generally ‘Yes’ ! So I upped sticks and sacrificed Liverpool for London! Not everyone thought that a good idea in my local church: ‘Why can’t you train here on the job?’ they’d say. I did notice the same commentators seemed to think differently when another young person, perhaps a son or daughter, went off to study medicine, or even origami (OK, that’s a joke – such courses usually fold quite quickly).
I am so grateful for those formative years at college: time to gain some ability in Biblical languages (neglected so often these days to the church’s ultimate peril, by the way); swathes of Christian doctrine and church history; plus practical courses in evangelism, pastoring, missiology, etc. And all with the aim of helping guys like me to make sense of what disciplines (like exegeting a text, or appreciating hermeneutics) have to offer in understanding and applying God’s word responsibly to God’s people and world.
There was also an added, unadvertised bonus for young folk like me, able to live in community: the making of lifelong friends who have helped earth me, shape me, and keep me accountable. For some, the biggest bonus friendship-wise may be discovering that Bible College becomes Bridal College – my own experience, as a certain young lady, Brenda, became the Lord’s provision of a life’s partner for over 40 years.
Over the 30 years I served Moorlands College in various roles, we launched teaching programmes in different locations and at differing levels. Some courses were necessarily basic, giving training in the word of God at a foundational level. Other courses would lead to certificates, diplomas, and degrees at Bachelor and Master levels. Now, truth to tell, in addition, today there are many ways of being able to access Biblical and theological training without physically attending a college. So much can be accessed via distance learning and Zoomed in on.
But behind all such training must be a commitment to Applied Theology. That term does not mean merely taking on board a lot of information and a bag of how-to tricks. More importantly, it is to see ‘Christ formed’ in a student’s life. For that to be achieved there has to be an intentionality about spiritual formation. How tragic to procure a First-Class Honours degree and be a third-class character!
Dr Billy Graham is reported to have said that if he had only three years to serve the Lord, he would invest two of them in preparation and training. Many other leaders would agree, and often lament that they did not have the opportunities that are so readily available today to gain first-class evangelical, theological training. Personally, although I had read the Bible through a good number of times and tried reading big tomes on such things as Systematic Theology before I went to college, I thank God for every one of those seven years of full-time seminary study (OK, I was clearly a slow learner!) that helped prepare me for ministry right up to the present day.
So, who needs Theological College? I did, for sure! And you?
