Pastors value seminary training, survey says

Protestant pastors value their seminary education and integrate their learning into the way they serve their congregations, according to LifeWay Research survey information released in March of this year.

A telephone survey of more than 1,000 Protestant pastors in late December 2008 showed that two-thirds of the respondents had obtained at least a master’s degree, and 71 percent strongly agreed that they regularly use things they learned in their seminary classes.

Among the surveyed pastors, 85 percent said they have taken seminary classes, and 96 percent of that group said they would repeat those seminary classes if “they had it to do over again.”

The survey also examined the ongoing usefulness of seminary training. Seventy-one percent of seminary-educated pastors strongly agreed with the statement, “I regularly use things that I learned in my seminary classes,” and 24 percent somewhat agreed. Just 3 percent somewhat disagreed, and only 1 percent strongly disagreed with the statement.

Pastors with a doctoral-level education were more likely to agree that they regularly use the things they learned in their seminary classes, with 82 percent of those pastors strongly agreeing with the above statement.

A smaller percentage of pastors of small churches have been to seminary, the survey showed. Only 74 percent of those at churches with an average worship attendance less than 50 have attended seminary classes compared to 88 percent of pastors in churches with attendance of more than 50.

Of pastors who attended seminary, 83 percent strongly agreed that the training and experience was worth the time and money. Among pastors with a doctoral-level education, the percentage increased — 94 percent strongly agreed that the seminary training was worth their investment.

LifeWay Research conducted the telephone survey from Dec. 1–6, 2008, with 1,004 randomly selected Protestant pastors. Responses were weighted to reflect the geographic distribution of Protestant churches. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed 3.2 percent.    (BP)