For several years, the energetic and personable 21-year-old college senior has sensed God calling him to be an international missionary. As soon as he graduates he plans to enroll in seminary.
The stay-at-home mom had never thought about God’s call on her life until after her children were born. Now, she is dreaming about how God could use her in children’s ministry. She knows a seminary education would help equip her to follow her dream.
The experienced pastor of a rural church realizes his aging congregation isn’t attracting young families and seems to be in a downward spiral. He is considering earning a seminary doctoral degree to be better prepared to lead his church to revitalization.
Thinking about seminary? You’re not alone.
Close to 9,000 Southern Baptist students were enrolled in one of the Southern Baptist Convention’s six theological seminaries during the 2018–2019 academic year, the 2020 Southern Baptist Convention Annual reported. When you add in the total number of students, including Southern Baptists and non-Southern Baptists, who were registered in a Southern Baptist seminary for one credit hour or more in 2018–2019, that number catapults to nearly 24,000.
These students are a cross-section of society — men and women of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds.
“I believe every God-called man and woman can benefit from a seminary education,” said Norris Grubbs, provost at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. “Time spent preparing for ministry is not wasted time. God will use this time of sharpening to enhance future ministry.”
Theological education has long been a hallmark of who Southern Baptists are, evidenced by the fact that half of the 10 largest seminaries accredited by the Association of Theological Schools are Southern Baptist, as reported by Christianity Today.
Is seminary right for you? Only you can answer that question, but here are a few considerations to get you on the right track to finding the answer.
“The main thing to consider about seminary is the calling. Has God called you to seminary?” said Michael Wang, NOBTS director of admissions.
While “the basic call is to Christ as Lord and Savior … there are further callings to special ministries,” explains J.A. Reynolds in the “Holman Bible Dictionary.” Seminary can offer the necessary education to equip and prepare men and women called to such ministries.
In a 2020–2021 survey by the Association of Theological Schools, more than 5,000 students entering seminary ranked three factors highest on an individual decision to pursue theological education: experiencing a call from God, desiring to serve others and opportunities for study and growth.
“Once you’ve discerned the call to seminary, then you have the logistics to get in order,” Wang noted.
Where?
Southern Baptists’ six seminaries have a long track record of theological soundness and educational excellence. They are: Gateway, Midwestern, New Orleans, Southeastern, Southern and Southwestern.
Since Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southern Baptists’ oldest, was launched in 1859, much has changed about graduate-level education. But the overall guiding mission of Southern Baptist seminaries has remained constant. Even with challenges related to COVID-19, Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary, told Christianity Today that the purpose of theological education, training up leaders to serve Christ’s church, remains “worth fighting for” and “worth dedicating your life to.”
Faithful to mission
He prays, he said, that “our sister schools … will be able to survive, thrive and be faithful to their mission.”
In looking beyond Southern Baptist seminaries, the ATS has a membership of 270 graduate schools in both the Christian and Jewish faiths. Those ranks include a full range of Christian denominations, as well as multidenominational and nondenominational schools.
Beeson Divinity School, an interdenominational, evangelical theological seminary established in 1988 in Birmingham, is one of them.
In selecting a seminary, students should note several factors. According to the ATS survey, the top four are: curriculum, quality of the faculty, academic reputation and comfort with the doctrinal position/theological perspective. Additionally, students should consider the seminary’s location, programs of study and costs.
It’s a weighty decision, and it’s a personal one. Wang suggested seeking guidance from church leaders and trusted friends.
“Let God direct your path. Bathe every decision in prayer,” he urged.
How much?
Tuition and fees for seminary classes vary widely, even among Southern Baptist institutions. For a Southern Baptist seminary student at NOBTS or Gateway, the cost was $275 per credit hour in 2019–2020, compared to $324 per credit hour at Southern, according to the 2020 SBC Annual.
On-campus students have to factor in additional costs such as housing. The 2019–2020 annual housing cost per student at a Southern Baptist seminary in 2019 ranged from a low of $12,840 at Southwestern to a high of $28,840 at Gateway.
Those costs can be daunting. Seminary students often are cautioned to avoid incurring large amounts of debt since they’ll forever end up scrambling around trying to find out how to make 1500 fast for their next set of bills.
The good news is that scholarships abound.
In April 2020, Gateway Seminary announced a $250,000 gift to assist with student scholarships in the midst of the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other scholarships are available, including several offered through The Baptist Foundation of Alabama. The Foundation’s 2021 scholarship process opened Jan. 1 and closes March 31 (tbfa.org/scholarships).
The Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions administers several scholarship programs for students who are preparing for church-related vocations through the Board of Aid (alsbom.org/scholarships).
Beeson Divinity School offers scholarships to 100% of its full-time master’s level students.
Can’t relocate?
Unable to relocate for a theological education? There are options.
While some seminaries still require residency to earn theological degrees, many, including Southern Baptist seminaries, offer remote and online learning options.
Some seminaries offer a hybrid program, in which students take most of their classes virtually or at an extension center with occasional required visits to campus. NOBTS offers extension centers in four Alabama locations: Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa.
Tom Tanner, director of accreditation for the ATS Commission on Accrediting, said the hybrid option is “the best of both worlds. Students are not uprooted from their context. It’s much less expensive, and coming to campus and meeting with students and faculty is still viewed as a positive thing.”
Such options are welcomed by many students.
“Tuition costs are a driving force, but a bigger driver is life,” said Chris Meinzer, senior director of administration and chief operating officer at ATS. “Many of our students are second-career age. They’re not just packing up and going someplace else.”
Wang ties the decision to learn on campus or in an adapted model into a person’s call.
“Everyone’s call is different,” he said. “Some are called to uproot life and move to [campus]. Others are called to be a faithful local church leader and use [remote options] to enhance their skills to be a better minister of the gospel.”
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