Monday, March 8, 2010

Unqualified Ministers

I sometimes have a fear, as more and more grassroots ministry movements take hold, of one thing. While I enthusiastically believe that every believer is called to be a minister and each member of a congregation has something to offer, someone has to have more theological training than a 12th grade Sunday School class.

The doctrines in the Bible are very complex and loaded with cultural meaning from times and places very foreign to our own. To have someone lead a body of believers, a local incarnation of The Church, who has not even studied Ecclesiology in an academic setting is somewhat foolish, if not completely terrifying. So much is at stake. Think through the history of all of the horrific things done in the name of Christ. What is more to blame for these than ignorance.

I attend a church lead by well meaning, godly men, who did not have an undergraduate training in theology, and only one of them has taken a semester of seminary. Believe me, although there are many wonderful things about our church, this costs us something. Those with the most theological training in our church are women, who do not hold the high leadership positions, and because of that hierarchy, are not the voice listened to in major decisions.

By all means, be the church wherever you are. Dream and build and seek the Kingdom of God. Let the Holy Spirit guide you and fill you. But please hold yourself accountable to someone who really knows the word of God, and how to interpret it into right doctrine and practice.

You can read further on Plainly Pagan.

1 comment:

Dr. Jay Smith said...

Good points Addie. I enjoy your blog and miss you!