Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The Goal of Theological Training - are local church Bible Institutes an answer?

The Goal of Theological Training

I have contemplated this issue frequently. I have received a bachelor's degree from a Theological Institution and hope to complete my Master of Divinity degree from a second Theological Institution. This training has been so crucial to my life and ministry. I am so thankful for those that made these fine schools a reality. Yet, there is a clear and present danger growing in the midst of evangelical Theological Institutions. The cost of education is rising. The need for Theological training is just as great as it has ever been. The reality is that so many believers are unable to produce the necessary finances to receive necessary Theological training without incurring serious financial debt. This is very debilitating for a servant of God desiring to enter vocational ministry.


This has led me to wonder about the necessity for the Bible Institute to rise again. Such local church organized institutions were created in the past for the purpose of providing Theological training in the face of rising liberalism in the seminaries. It seems that there is such a need again but not necessarily for the same reasons. There are still many fine Theological Institutions in existence in the United States. The real issue is the financial cost involved. If there could be strong Theological training provided by local churches this could alleviate much of the financial cost involved in receiving training. There are some drawbacks to this idea. The quality of training may be significantly lower than the present Theological Institutions in existence. This may also result in doctrinal error.


Anyone else have any thoughts about this subject?








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