In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future.
— Eric Hoffer, writer and philosopher
In his article, Human Knowledge is Doubling Every 12 Hours, Amitabh Ray notes, “The volume of knowledge is doubling every 12 hours. The doubling rate used to be 25 years in 1945.”
He reports, “There was a stunned silence when I told a group of young students that the jobs of tomorrow, for which they were preparing themselves today, haven’t yet been invented. I received a similar response when I said that things that are being taught today in our schools and colleges would be redundant by the time students graduate.”
When I graduated from seminary in the last century, I felt that I was well equipped for ministry. In addition to biblical, historical, and theological studies, I knew how to develop and deliver a sermon, craft a Bible study, provide pastoral care, and even do some administrative tasks. My confidence didn’t last long. Not only was the quantity and quality of information available to me increasing, but the reality of ministry was very different from my preconceptions. And all of this was pre-Internet, social media, and pandemic.
I learned quickly that the only way to survive in ministry was to be a lifelong learner. This came from reading, attending conferences, trying new things, and learning from others. The last was particularly important. I loved to hear what others were doing in their ministry settings. Certainly, much of what they had done did not apply in my context, but it stimulated my thinking about application in my own setting.
Although my seminary education did not provide everything I needed to do ministry for life, it did provide me with several gifts. First, I was exposed to professors who were lifelong learners, continuing to research ideas and practice new ways of teaching. Many were also involved in local church ministry and kept in touch with practitioners. Second, I was encouraged to pursue passions and interests that emerged in my own studies and experience. Third, I was nurtured in my own calling and vocation as a minister.
My ministry has evolved over the years. I am doing things today that I never anticipated and certainly was not trained to do. Even so, the gifts I received in my seminary education have equipped me to engage with emerging knowledge and embrace new experiences. That’s what lifelong learning is all about.
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