Re: Sons Inheriting Churches from Fathers $$$
 

I’m referring to a real seminary or school of theological instruction. Not IBC or similar. Most instructors at UPCI sponsored Bible Schools did not have graduate degrees 20 years ago. That has started to change a little. A qualified seminary will teach you how to systematically teach the Bible. Your thoughts and viewpoints will evolve but the foundation is extremely important.

Re: Sons Inheriting Churches from Fathers $$$
 

Please show me in scripture where anyone went to seminary.

Re: Sons Inheriting Churches from Fathers $$$
 

This is western culture brother, 2000 years removed. Apostolic churches practice many things not covered in scripture and that's not necessarily a bad thing. The ministry like any occupation didn't emphasize formal education as late as the mid 20th century. In fact, most early ministers of the oneness movement had no more than a 6 grade education. It's about where we are as a society and bettering ourselves to serve in as broad a manner as possible. When I went through a divorce just over 10 years ago the pastor, a church I had not been attending very long, made the statement more than once "I'm not a marriage counselor." Well, he probably should be or at least have the basic training to be you'd think.

Re: Sons Inheriting Churches from Fathers $$$
 

We've had seminaries available for over 150 years+. And just look at how solidly conservative stick-to-Bible they are! No wonder the nation has improved greatly in its general moral condition!

Re: Sons Inheriting Churches from Fathers $$$
 

Ima be honest, I don’t know if I have offended or not, I don’t even know what a nepotism is.
I’m guessing if I had done it “ I would know” , so safe to assume I haven’t nepotismed?

Re: Sons Inheriting Churches from Fathers $$$
 

Jesus chose disciples that were not precisely that educated in the Scriptures. There were fishermen and a tax collector among his disciples. However, Jesus did not leave them uneducated regarding the Word of God. Matthew, the tax collector, considered a traitor, and probably banned from synagogues, wrote a Gospel well structured for didactic teaching, and full of Old Testament references. Peter, a fisherman, preached his first Sermon in the Day of Pentecost with several Scriptures references and reasoning (wisdom) to prove his points, in a very anointed way. Luke recorded that the religious leaders at the time were very astonished at the wisdom of Peter. That wisdom came from dedication, preparation and anointing. They all spent three years under the direct training of Jesus.

They didn't call it Seminaries, instead, they had a different system, but at the end of the day, it is preparation.

The kind of preparation matters. Are you preparing people to think or to echo exactly what you tell them without questioning? When you prepare you are also teaching an attitude. Going through preparation doesn't mean you are going to discover the truth, otherwise all those trinitarians that are going to Seminaries would have discovered the truth. At the end of the day, it is still a human system.

Re: Sons Inheriting Churches from Fathers $$$
 

This is a very well balanced analysis. :thumbsup

Re: Sons Inheriting Churches from Fathers $$$
 

Nepotism can be avoided by having specific features in the church bylaws and constitution detailing how new pastors are installed. Combine that with a church board that functions at a high level, and the chance of nepotism is quote low.

So if two thirds of the voting members are required for a minister to become the new pastor, then the new pastor is determined by the congregation, not by the outgoing pastor.

Another quality feature would be if the bylaws had a feature where a pulpit committee vets the applications for the vacant pastorate. The committee sifts through the pile of applications and presents the best of the candidates to the congregation.

Just my two cents.

Re: Sons Inheriting Churches from Fathers $$$
 

Just good old consideration of the members. And these bylaws need to be established when you DON’T need them. That way, when the time comes, you have the procedure in place and ready to deploy.

I totally agree Scott.

Re: Sons Inheriting Churches from Fathers $$$
 

Most of the liberal universities (but I’m being redundant) that you’ve heard of, started out as Bible schools. Then they always seem to drift towards liberalism. I think this is established fact. I’d like to hear ideas about why that seems to be so consistently true. I have my theories, but I wouldn’t want to bias the data towards my view.