In a recent address in Minnesota, Bradley Longfield, dean of the University
of Dubuque (Iowa) Theological Seminary, said the church needs “to
find new and creative ways to train leadership.” Of course, the church expects seminaries to
provide this leadership, Longfield observed, and the seminaries have often been
slow to respond.
Longfield
pointed out, “The future seems to be breaking in much more quickly than most of
us would like.” Just as the church was
slow to embrace the use of radio and television to further its mission, so the
church and its institutions have been slow to embrace the Internet and digital
technology for ministry. They have been
committed to an older way to delivering ministry and ambivalent about trying new
approaches.
The
reluctance to change on the part of seminaries should not be a surprise to
anyone. Churches have long looked to
theological institutions to teach not only the faith but to be gatekeepers for
those qualified for ministry. They have
been considered the keepers of the heritage.
Although this feeling may not have been as strong for those with a
congregational polity such as Baptists, in most circles education was respected
and scholars were honored. This is
attested to by the number of schools, colleges, and seminaries founded by
Baptists in the 18 and 19th centuries. Just as the monasteries of old, the colleges
and seminaries of the church were seen as solid, trustworthy institutions with a
commitment to biblical and theological foundations as well as the traditions of
the church. They were the “keepers of
the faith.”
This
is no longer true. As churches struggle
to prove themselves credible in contemporary culture, they have often looked
beyond the theological institutions that they spawned for new insight and
leadership. In so doing, some have made
good choices and others have failed miserably.
This provides new opportunities for theological
institutions. They have the resources
that are needed by the churches and must find new ways to share them. As Longfield said, “Seminaries are going to
follow the needs of the church.” The contemporary climate calls for innovation and
creativity. Without sacrificing academic
integrity and competent scholarship, many institutions such as Longfield’s and Central Baptist Theological Seminary welcome the challenge and are seeking ways
to prepare leaders for the churches, denominations, and other faith
communities.
This is a time of great opportunity--not a
time of fear but of hope.
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