This article puts into words the thoughts that have run through my head while attending bible college (and seminary) for the past several years. On many occasions I sought advice on whether or not bible college (and seminary) were a good idea for me. While I did receive some good advice, I was largely met with small answers that didn’t really invoke any serious thinking on my part. For example I’d ask someone “How will I pay for seminary?” and they would respond with “the Lord will take care of it”. Or I’d inquire “How do I know if I’m called to be a pastor?” and the response would be “If you are called”. Question after question seemed to be met with one word, or one sentence responses, fired off without hesitation.
As time passed by I learned that there are answers to these questions (and more). There always has been answers, all I had to do was be patient and work diligently to find them. It is not my intention to present every single aspect of whether to go to seminary or not in this article. My intention is to point out a few critically important things I overlooked when I began my own seminary journey. I intend for my experiences and hardships to be your gain, and to your benefit.
With that in mind, are you a young man going to college wondering what you want to be? Do you have a secret ambition to become a pastor? Or are you like me with a wife, kids, and a job you’ve been at for 5+ years. Maybe you attended your high school reunion recently and saw your old friends who are now businessmen, doctors, lawyers, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, etc. After seeing all of these people and witnessing how they have found their place in the world, you’re suddenly motivated to sign up for seminary to get started towards achieving your dream of being a pastor (or missionary) ?
If you are considering attending either a Christian college or a Christian seminary with the intent of using the experience and credentials to work in paid Christian ministry, this article is for you and you should read it in its entirety. Maybe you want to be a pastor or a missionary or a professor at a faith based school? The article is mainly crafted to help those who are considering entrance to seminary (or a Christian college) to become a pastor but also applies to different circumstances as well (missionaries). People who are considering attending a Christian college or seminary without the intent of working in paid Christian ministry (though the financial section is worth your consideration if you are planning on taking out loans) may not benefit from it as much. Regardless of your situation, I pray that the points in this article will prove beneficial to you and your journey.
Read this or you might make the worst financial decision of your life!: This portion of the article is long – however extremely important. Please read through it in its entirety. There are many articles on the internet that explain why you should attend seminary, however for some reason none of the articles I read covered the topic of finances. Often the issue of finances is met with a response of “God will provide” or “I received a doctorate and didn’t pay a dime”. These people are basically suggesting you lack faith because you’re asking serious financial questions (just because they received a handout). If you are like most people, you will have to face some tough financial decisions, and it isn’t because you don’t have enough faith. It’s because goods costs money, and an education in particular is a very expensive good. Finances might be a deal breaker in your decision of whether seminary is a good choice or not.
I frequently hear people talk about how they managed to make it through community college virtually debt free. Community college tuition is highly subsidized, and the student only pay’s a fraction of the cost of their education. Between the affordable tuition rates, and the possibility of qualifying for Pell Grants (FAFSA) or other scholarships, a good percentage of community college students are able to graduate debt free. When these students enter into the University (or Seminary), they are often met with a rude awakening.
Bachelor degree tuition rates are significantly more expensive than community college tuition rates. The expenses are much higher as well. When I investigated local universities I came to the conclusion that it costs upwards of 4 or 5 times more than community college (per year). This means that your quarterly Pell Grant will only cover 1/5 of the cost of one quarter of school. You are responsible for coming up with the other 80% Yes, there are scholarships out there, and above average students usually are able to get a piece of that pie. The average student is forced to take out student loans (or drop out).
Colleges and Universities are in the business of making money and staying open for business. They will gladly sit you down, help you fill out the paperwork, and set you up with loans. Christian institutions are not exempt from this either. They need to cover their costs of doing business and keep their doors open. You have to look out for yourself when it comes to things like loans (debt), and what impact that debt will have on your future. A lot of students automatically assume they will get a job fresh out of college and that they will be in a decent financial situation. That isn’t the case for most students.
Most students who took out student loans are trapped in those loans for a decade (or longer). I personally know lawyers who have upwards of $200,000 in student loan debt. They are making payments of $1000 a month on their loans. Because of this, they are living very frugal lifestyles, and often are driving old run down cars, despite the fact that their salary is quite reasonable.
One thing you have to keep in mind is that ministry work often provides a salary that isn’t reasonable (by most standards). Ten years down the line you won’t be making a ton of money like many lawyers do. You might be considering taking out $30,000 – $40,000 – $50,000+ in student loans for your seminary degree without realizing that you will probably be making $30,000 to $40,000 as a newly hired minister fresh out of seminary (if you can even get hired). A household income of $30,000 means you’re poor and would likely qualify for food stamps and other government assistance. It isn’t enough income to provide for a family, that’s for sure.
Another thing to consider is that a lot of churches have ministers who are bi-vocational. This is often the case in small churches that cannot afford to pay their pastor, or in ethnic churches where the pastor refuses to accept a salary for cultural reasons. The bi-vocational premise seems to be becoming more prevalent. This means you may not be able to rely on 30 years of paid ministry work like previous generations have.
There can be a lot of relationship problems if the finances are bad. You might find yourself arguing with your wife more if you’re constantly broke, and checks are being returned with insufficient funds. Finances cause a lot of problems in marriage, and a substantial amount of student loan debt can contribute to that burden.
Is the seminary or college you wish to attend accredited?:
There are thousands of religious schools to choose from. The idea of receiving an education in a Christian atmosphere is very appealing for many students (especially considering the growing hostilities towards the Christian worldview in the secular academic arena). One thing many people overlook when they sign up for a Christian school is whether or not the school is accredited. Many small religious colleges and seminaries have no accreditation. Often times these unaccredited schools are affiliated with a denomination that will recognize the validity of the degree and hire students who obtain these unaccredited degrees. However, other denominations often will not recognize those unaccredited degrees as valid. Some other colleges and seminaries obtain some kind of accreditation, but the accreditation isn’t recognized and respected in the workforce. If your Christian college or seminary holds an accreditation equal to your local state funded University (or the Christian equivalent) than your degree will likely be recognized wherever you may end up in life.
Before choosing to attend a college or seminary you should research what accreditation the school has, and determine whether a degree from that institution will enable you to secure employment, or enter into another degree program a different institution down the line. You don’t want to spend thousands of dollars and devote years of your life only to discover the next step (workforce or different college) doesn’t respect or recognize your degree. You also don’t want to get a degree at a Presbyterian seminary if the denomination you want to get hired at doesn’t recognize or respect Presbyterian degrees. You should get a good feel for what your prospective employer acknowledges as sufficient before choosing a school (or choose a non denominational accredited school).
It is also important to research what degree program to enter. A common seminary degree is the Master of Divinity (MDiv). This is the traditional masters degree program that most pastor (wannabes) seek after and is often a prerequisite for obtaining pastoral employment. Interestingly enough, the American church seems to be drifting away from it’s emphasis that the pastor must hold a seminary degree. You may not even need a seminary degree to get a pastoral position in your town. Why spend thousands of dollars on a degree that has no significant impact on your hire-ability? While in seminary, I’ve noticed thousands of people are graduating nation wide each year. People are graduating, but there really aren’t that many jobs available. Seminary (and bible college) graduates are competing for positions, and churches are able to interview loads of prospects before making a hiring decision. Unless you have a personal connection, you may not find any ministry work!
Are you being called to Christian Ministry?:
Often times when people are contemplating seminary they seek out guidance from family and friends as to whether or not it’s a good idea. A very common response from people is “do you feel called”? If you answer the question with a “yes” the conversation is pretty much over and you know what you’re going to do. If your answer is “maybe” or “no” then it gets more complicated. Many people sign up for seminary and then drop out when they discover it isn’t what they thought it was going to be. Instead of signing up, racking up tens of thousands of dollars of debt, wasting a bunch of time, only to drop out later on, consider the following advice before choosing to go to seminary in the first place.
Don’t determine whether you are called to go to seminary and become a pastor because something “feels right” about it. Often times our feelings can be mixed up, and how we feel when we are young and ambitious is different than how we feel as we grow older and become more wise. Don’t put all of your eggs into the feelings basket. Seek external input into whether seminary (or ministry) is right for you. A perfect person to ask is someone who is a pastor at your current church. If you cannot approach your pastor and ask him “do you think I am called” because he hasn’t seen you in action, stop right there, you aren’t ready for seminary. Before you attend seminary, get involved in your local church. Volunteer whenever you can and in multiple avenues of ministry. If you think you want to be a youth pastor, great. But still plan on volunteering in various other areas to get a good sense of the entire ministry package. Don’t enter seminary without a clue of how the local church functions. You should know your local church well, and your local church leaders should know you.
After doing some volunteer work approach your church leadership and tell them about your seminary aspirations. Ask them if they think you are called to be in ministry. If they truly love you they will give you an honest answer. Ask them what they think your gifts are. Ask them if there is any ministry work in particular that you should focus on. Ask them if they are open to you becoming an intern there as you progress through your degree. If your local church and its leadership don’t support your seminary aspirations, that is a huge red flag.
If you’re married, your wife has to be on board 100% or you should not sign up for seminary. You have to remember that while you may be zealous about committing your life to full time ministry, your wife may have an entirely different plan of how she wants to spend her life. Your wife is more important than seminary! Remember, even if your wife isn’t on board with you going to seminary, you can still volunteer at your local church and be an extremely valuable part of the ministry accomplished there. You don’t have to be a pastor to be a shepherd, nor should you force your agenda on your unwilling wife. A lot of young married seminarians probably don’t know that a lot of churches expect a 2 for the price of 1 kind of package deal when they hire a pastor. They are willing to pay the pastor as long as they have full access to the pastors wife for free.
Another consideration is whether you are gifted in non ministry work. Are you an excellent mathematician? Are you enthusiastic about helping people with medical problems? Do you love to cook? Are you talented at construction work? Can you fix cars easily? Do you write computer code with ease? Are you excellent with social skills? Are you a brilliant litigator? There are millions of jobs out there, many of which you probably can do quite well. Many seasoned pastors I know had careers in these various fields prior to becoming pastors. Many of these pastors have degrees from secular institutions that qualify them to work in various fields. Did you know that most pastors don’t work in full time Christian ministry the entire duration of their career?
Your seminary degree (or bible college degree) likely won’t qualify you to work in a non-religious field if you ever had to. The best advice I can offer a college student is to major in a program that has demand in the workforce. The workforce is slammed with people who have religious, philosophy, liberal arts, psychology, and general studies degrees (all of which are competing for the same jobs against the guy who got the better specialized degree). If your Christian college is accredited and offers degrees in fields such as engineering, nursing, teaching,etc, than great! If employers respect those degrees awesome. However, if your Christian college issues degrees that aren’t recognized in the secular workplace, obtain a college degree that is. A seminary degree stacked on top of a nationally recognized secular Bachelors is a great setup. This qualifies you for both potential ministry work, and jobs in the secular workforce (should you have to reenter it).
Are you personally qualified for pastoral ministry?:
This category is different than the one above it in that you aren’t determining whether someone thinks you are “called” to be a pastor (which is really an outward analysis), you are determining if you are inwardly qualified (in your private life and deep within). All Christians are equipped with the Holy Spirit which enables them to do ministry work that is pleasing to God. Not all Christians are equipped (and called) to be pastors though. For a quick and concise overview of the biblical qualifications required from a potential pastor, click HERE.
The only pastor who has perfectly personified all of these things is Jesus Christ. All other pastors are sinners and fall short. However, it is important that a pastor be known to possess many of the qualities that are listed in the 1 Timothy texts. You can’t bank on becoming “like a pastor” when you graduate from seminary. You have to continually work towards achieving the 1 Timothy qualifications. This isn’t a works vs. grace conversation, this is a either you are or you aren’t qualified type of conversation.
If you’re living in unrepentant sin, you aren’t qualified for ministry. If you aren’t qualified for ministry, why go to seminary? Seminary won’t magically make your sin go away or make you into a pastor. God does these things, and expects you to submit to His will along the way. Before signing up for seminary, work hard to put your sins to death, and to live a life worthy of the biblical pastoral title.
Conclusion:
- Ask questions now so you don’t regret it later on.
- Is seminary (or bible college) a smart financial decision for you (and your family?)
- If so, have you exhausted every avenue to avoid taking out student loans?
- Recognize that you will be entering a workforce that expects long hours for little financial compensation.
- Have you considered the value of having a bachelors degree that isn’t religious themed?
- Is the school you are looking at accredited? If so, who recognizes and respects their accreditation?
- Will a seminary (or bible college) degree be beneficial to securing gainful employment?
- Are you genuinely called to full time Christian Ministry?
- Have you sought external confirmation that affirms your calling?
- Is your wife on board with it?
- Are you qualified according to the Bible?
If you are finding yourself answering “no” to any of these questions, you just take some time to think about it more and pray about it. There is no shame in being patient and making a well informed decision. Whatever you decide, may God bless you in everything you do.
Additional resources:
If you want to go to seminary to be a pastor, buy THIS book!
The Religious Nerd 