Barnabas File

In recent years, seminaries have made many changes in their basic degree program, the Master of Divinity.  This degree has traditionally prepared individuals to serve churches and is required for ordination in many denominations.    The number of hours in the program have been reduced, and most schools offer a full degree online. Even so, the enrollment in MDiv programs has declined.    During the same period, Master of Arts programs have grown. Some of these have provided basic theological education for those who will serve churches in specific areas and have designations such as the MA in Christian Ministry, Christian Leadership, and Educational Ministry.  Other programs are more oriented toward research and may be designated as the MA in Theological Studies or Biblical Studies.  Some programs are professional in nature such as the MA in Counseling or Christian Counseling.   Concentrations and options continue to multiple, bu...

Twenty years ago, the Tennessee Cooperative Baptist Fellowship partnered with Central Seminary in Shawnee, KS, to open a satellite center in middle Tennessee.  The seminary also opened two other sites at that time.  Classes took place on Friday evenings and on Saturdays.  Professors came from Kansas to teach, and we also enlisted supplemental faculty from the local area. In the following years, Central added online classes that our students could access. Eventually, the seminary was able to offer a full Master of Divinity degree online.  When COVID struck, this strategy was a godsend! Today most institutions of higher learning including theological schools offer both hybrid programs and online programs. Hybrid programs combine online and in person experiences. Online learning offers flexibility, accessibility, and scalability and in-person learning providing opportunities for hands-on experience, collaboration, and networking. ...

Theological education as we have known it will never be the same. The changes that seminaries must adopt are driven by the North American context in which they work and the constituencies they serve.   First, the church constituency has changed.   The number of Christian churches is in decline.  It is not just that many churches are closing their doors.   One source indicates that more than 4000 churches close their doors every year, but there are just over 1000 new church starts!  The number of churches is not keeping up with population growth. Every year, 2.7 million church members fall into inactivity. In addition, half of all churches in the US did not add any new members to their ranks in the last two years. Those mainline churches that are still active tend to have fewer participants and a lower level of giving.   In a recent article , Denise Craig noted that church salary increases are not keeping up with the ...

If you are involved in a church or denomination, you may has asked the question, “Where are our future clergy leaders?”     Many denominations struggle to find pastors or to bring women and men into the ordination track.     Seminaries address this from the standpoint not only of how they can serve the churches’ needs, but how can they provide theological education and spiritual formation for the society at large.     They ask, “Who is in the next generation of seminary students?”   If I may use the term, here are key “markets” for theological education to consider in the new future:   “Pipeline” clergy.  These are individuals who are active in their congregations and have experienced a vocational call to ministry.  In the past, these tended to be young adults who either came to faith in the church or in a parachurch ministry. There are still many of these folks out there, but increasingly the seminaries are enrolling women and...