I had lunch with one of my former students, one who graduated one month ago, because he wanted to talk about going to seminary. I don\u2019t know why \u2014 maybe because I\u2019m accessible through e-mail and this blog or maybe because I\u2019m getting older \u2014 but I get asked this question often. So, here\u2019s two considerations that I think everyone thinking of going to seminary ought to think about:
\nFirst, the ministry is hard. It\u2019s rewarding as all get out at times, but it is hard. It\u2019s hard on the pastor, it\u2019s hard on the pastor\u2019s spouse, it\u2019s hard on the pastor\u2019s family, it\u2019s hard on the pastor\u2019s friends, it\u2019s hard on the pastor\u2019s seminary teachers. The job doesn\u2019t end at 5pm; it doesn\u2019t seem to bring constant closure. You don\u2019t make lots of money. You don\u2019t often get to spend that much time studying and thinking and praying and pondering. Instead, there are lots of meetings and people to talk things through with. (I\u2019m assuming most are in smaller churches where the buck stops often with the pastor\u2019s energy level.)
\nSecond, before you go to seminary and while you are in seminary be in some kind of ministry. Get a good feel for what it is really like. Forget the idea that a seminary will prepare you to minister and that you\u2019ll wait to minister until you graduate. I have to wonder if \u201cnot ministering while in seminary\u201d is a pretty good sign that one doesn\u2019t have the calling. Why do I say this? Ministry isn\u2019t something you \u201cdo\u201d but something you are \u201ccalled to.\u201d It is a vocation, not a job. I don\u2019t know, maybe I\u2019m wrong: but if I see a seminary student who isn\u2019t doing anything in ministry I have to wonder why.
\nWell, those are the two major points I emphasized with Austin. I\u2019m keen on hearing what you might suggest to those who are considering going to seminary.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I had lunch with one of my former students, one who graduated one month ago, because he wanted to talk about going to seminary. I don\u2019t know why \u2014 maybe because I\u2019m accessible through e-mail and this blog or maybe because I\u2019m getting older \u2014 but I get asked this question often. So, here\u2019s two […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[106,1740],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","category-pastoring-and-preaching"],"yoast_head":"\n