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?

Doctrinal and Theological Vagueness

Doctrinal and Theological Vagueness

There is something of note that I have discovered lately in perusing the websites of various churches. It seems as though there are many churches that have not bothered to included a doctrinal statement on their website. One would wonder what the motivation behind such an omission would be? Contrary to what many would declare, the Bible clearly proclaims that doctrine is important (Jude 3; Rev. 22:18-19; 2 Pet. 3:14-18). Is the motivation not to offend those who have varying doctrinal stances? There are many things that have been practiced by churches since the day of Pentecost that are merely preferences rather than commands. Yet, there are many biblical issues that one must study to determine what he believes.

There were some doctrinal statements that were more like lyrics to a contemporary Christian song, than a fully developed statement of biblical beliefs. This has led me to believe that there is widespread Theological ignorance at the highest levels of many local churches. I recently read of the contemporary disdain for history. Mankind has concluded that they know more than any generation before and therefore have no need to learn from our ancestors. This reminds me of a plaque that was hung in the classroom of my high school history teacher. It read as follows, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” This chronological snobbery has invaded the church. Evangelical Christians believe they are “rootless” and are out to discover what is best for the church. The truth is that the Bible contains a great deal of historical information from which we must learn, so that we may be able to live a life that truly glorifies God (Rom. 15:4; 4:23-25; 1 Cor. 10:6-13). A large number of evangelical Christians are not only ignorant of the Old Testament, which gives us a proper foundation for and understanding of the New Testament, but we are ignorant of Church history. Church history is littered with examples of good and bad Theology. It contains pictures of how the Church was affected by its culture during history. It is to our detriment that we are unaware of these valuable lessons.

Maybe this current climate of Theological vagueness, which is also evidenced in so much of contemporary Christian music, is a symptom of a greater problem. It seems as though we are spending more time trying to “figure out” how to “grow” local churches, than we are spending time growing in our knowledge of and intimacy with the God of the Bible. God seems to be more of an accessory in our local churches, rather than the centerpiece. Maybe this is why we are Theologically vague. We are unsure of the importance of biblical doctrine. We are unsure of the value of Theology. We have come to believe that the “study of God” is not very exciting and not very relevant. We seem to have made ourselves the centerpiece of local churches. Why study God's Word to know God when our concerns and lives are more important? There are a large number who come to local churches for the purpose of learning more about their potential and their circumstances. If a local church is to focus on God and the proclamation of His Word, may view that local church as irrelevant.

If one seeks answers from Scripture, it would seem that Theological vagueness has resulted from professing Christians worshiping self, rather than the Triune God.

Man's Role in Church Growth

I have been through church growth classes.  They all seem very impressive and convicting in the moment.  Now I am somewhat disillusioned by the findings and recommendations.  The truth is that much of church growth has nothing to do with issues of sin or obedience.  It has to do with techniques.  Ultimately if one uses the Word of God with any regularity you will find that God alone saves souls.  God alone is the one who transforms people into the image of Christ.  One of the main problems is that Christians are not evangelizing!  Christians are not being Christlike to visitors when they attend church.  Christians are not encouraging one another to live for God and faithfully involve themselves in the local church. 
Individualism has truly hurt local churches and harmed the spiritual well-being of believers.  People view their relationship with God as a private issue.  This has led to people living in sin with no correction and encouragement.  This is to our detriment that we are neglecting these things.  I am saddened that instead of asking whether believers in our local church are growing in Christlikeness, we are more concerned with whether our attendance is going up or down.  God change our worldly thinking, please!