Sunday night after church I was out with a few fellow Journey-ers and we were talking about the future of seminary. It’s been a frequent conversation around the Village in recent years- what to do about educating this next generation of Christian leaders, who are currently being prepared for a Church that may or may not continue in its same form, and arguably not preparing them for leadership in the emerging church. There is also the issue of cost- not only monetary but time- associated with a traditional 3 year seminary. It seems less and less possible these days for someone to drop everything, move somewhere to study for 3 years, and then graduate to be paid very little in return on that hefty life investment.
It’s a monumental question that will require a lot of creative thinking, and frankly I think the answer lies in a multiplicity of models. Recently the Parish Collective has been addressing this issue, and they’ve garnered a unique partnership with the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology (formerly Mars Hill Graduate School). I really love what they’re doing, and if the seminary question is of interest to you, you should explore what they’re attempting. Below is a video of Dwight Friesen talking briefly about the Think-Tank Model. Dwight is an innovative thinker and great friend of EV. He’s always worth a listen!
What do you think are the major questions/issues facing the future of seminary education?
This blog is an experiment. We are seeking to include as many voices as are willing to join together and tell stories, create ideas, and generate friendships that will compel us to the future. There are more than 50 people who will be adding their voices to this conversation. Some will write, some will post audio, some will post video.
Follow Patheos
Progressive Christian: