Should seminaries prioritize Bible knowledge? Spiritual formation? Ministry skills? In the end, each school must determine how to make the best use of students' time.

Someone once offered the following description of the perfect pastor, a person with whom every church member would, in theory, be fully pleased:

"He is 26 years old and has been preaching for 30 years. He is a great leader, but also follows the will of the congregation. He is tall, short, thin, heavyset, and of course handsome, with one brown eye and one blue. His hair is parted in the middle. The left side is blonde and straight; the right side is dark and curly.

"He's a brilliant scholar but also a down-to-earth communicator. He has a burning desire to work with teenagers and spends all his time with older folks. He makes 15 calls a day to church members and is constantly out evangelizing the lost. He is always available in his office in case someone stops by unexpected."

You get the idea. There is no such thing as a perfect pastor. Similarly, when it comes to preparing for pastoral ministry, there is no single right way or correct path. Seminaries have the opportunity to shape the lives of ministry-minded students for only three or four years. Most seminaries acknowledge that when these men and women graduate, they will still have much to learn. If pastors waited until they learned all they need to know, however, they would never enter ministry.

Seminaries must make decisions based on priorities. What is most important? Is it providing knowledge of the Bible and theology? Spiritual formation and character building? Developing preaching skills?

For most seminaries, the answer is, "All of the above, and more." And each institution, based on its tradition and distinctive theological values, combines "all of the above" in different ways.

Seminary would not be seminary without paying attention to academia. For whatever else they do, seminaries convey knowledge about the Bible and tools for interpreting it. The slogan of the Portland, Oregon-based Multnomah Biblical Seminary reflects this commitment: "If it's Bible you want, then you want Multnomah." The seminary identifies as its top priority "teaching God's Word through Bible and theology courses."

In similar fashion, J. Ellsworth Kalas, president of Asbury Theological Seminary (Wilmore, Kentucky), states, "Asbury Seminary is committed to providing comprehensive biblical and doctrinal knowledge to each of our graduate students."

Reformed Theological Seminary is also known for emphasizing the academic aspects of seminary. David Gordon, senior vice president for enrollment management and extensions, notes that his institution is committed to providing Bible knowledge and theology from a Reformed evangelical perspective.

"First and foremost, we want our students preparing for pastoral ministry to be well grounded in the classical disciplines," says Clayton Schmit, academic director of the Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts at Fuller Theological Seminary. "Fuller takes great care in its attention to the classical approaches to pastoral ministry education, emphasizing a thorough study of the Scriptures, biblical research and exegesis, and church history."

While some schools no longer emphasize the biblical languages, others keep them focal, including Asbury, where Greek and Hebrew are required components of the master of divinity degree. Students are also required to take the Inductive Bible Study course, which introduces them to a comprehensive approach to the Bible.

The biblical languages requirement is strict at Beeson Divinity School, where no fewer than four semesters of Hebrew and four more of Greek are required of every M.Div. student. Says associate dean Paul House, "We recognize that preachers who study a passage in the original languages save themselves much time using commentaries, and are able to engage the text in more depth."

Master's level programs at Denver Seminary include 32 semester hours of biblical core courses. These include study of the Old and New Testaments and courses on biblical interpretation. The goal is not to teach students what to think, but to provide them with the tools needed to understand and interpret Scripture. In the words of chancellor Vernon C. Grounds: "Here is no unanchored liberalism—freedom to think without commitment. Here is no encrusted dogmatism—commitment without freedom to think. Here is a vibrant evangelicalism— commitment with freedom to think within the limits laid down in Scripture."

To stay relevant to the churches they serve, seminaries in general have made sure not to treat knowledge as an end in and of itself. Says Multnomah dean Donald L. Brake, "The rigorous studies at Multnomah in the areas of Bible, theology, and church history, while academic, are also focused on the question, 'How do these studies help in my ability to teach in the local church?' "

Biblical Theological Seminary in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, takes an educational approach that emphasizes the missional character of God. Says dean of faculty and professor of theology R. Todd Mangum, "We refuse to treat the Bible as a textual specimen, an object merely to analyze. Instead, we interact with Scripture as the authoritative instrument of the Spirit of God, who desires to speak through his inspired Word to his people today."

Mangum observes that Biblical Seminary considers church history to be a complementary story to Scripture's: "Though church history does not carry the authority of Scripture, it does convey the story of previous embodiments of the Spirit in God's people—people who … carried out the work of the kingdom. This approach to biblical studies and church history is practical and helps us not think more highly of ourselves than we ought. It gives us hope and motivates us to worship."

The educational approach of the Ames, Iowa-based Antioch School of Church Planting and Leadership Development differs markedly from traditional seminary education due to its "in-service" approach. Virtually all of Antioch's training occurs "on the job"—in churches, within church networks, and among ministry teams.

Says academic dean Stephen Kemp, "We think the Paul-Timothy model was much more than serious mentoring. 2 Timothy 2:2 provides a pattern for in-service training that involves real ministry in real churches. … The Antioch School is conscientiously aligned with this pattern." Kemp notes that a key to church-based theological education is the central role of

church leaders whom God has already put in place for students. That being the case, the Antioch experience features a heavy dose of Socratic discussion between students and church leaders/teachers.

Also, believing that a content-oriented test given at a scheduled time is not as reliable an indicator of learning as giving the same test unannounced six months later, Antioch replaces traditional tests with multifaceted portfolio assessments that look at ministry strategy projects, personal character, and actual ministry experiences.

In recent years, seminaries have realized that, without diminishing the importance of theology, preparation for ministry goes beyond the academic. The most effective pastors are not walking encyclopedias of Bible knowledge, but are people who are spiritually mature, exhibit strong moral character, and know how to relate to others.

"We believe that leaders who will reach others for Christ need to have a solid foundation in their personal relationship with God," says Asbury's Kalas. Asbury's Christian Formation plan focuses on several areas that strengthen students' spiritual formation. Faculty mentor students in addition to guiding them in their academics. Kalas notes that community life at Asbury makes worship and fellowship a priority in each community event.

Fuller's Schmit notes that most people assume spiritual formation will be an automatic part of the seminary experience. But, he says, "students can sometimes become so immersed in the life of scholarship that they can find their spiritual life waning. We combat that by having a spiritual component in the way we teach. We also have opportunities on campus for students to be involved in spiritual practices through regular worship on campus."

One of Denver Seminary's top priorities is helping students develop the maturity to live faithfully. Says director of communication D. J. Turner, "This includes care of the whole self, not just the intellectual mind. Living faithfully begins with understanding that our identity is in Christ." All Denver's programs require participation in the Training and Mentoring program, which teams students with vocational and spiritual mentors who help prepare students in the areas of character and spiritual development.

Says Beeson's House, "We believe that good pastors must walk with God over a lifetime of ministry and help others do the same. Thus, we require all first-semester students to take Spiritual Formation I, and we require students to take two subsequent Spiritual Formation courses that will help them build a consistent devotional life and begin to help others take the same journey. As our Dean often says, 'More than anything else, we are after our students' souls.' "

Spiritual development is a primary consideration in all of Multnomah's classes. Multnomah's Brake, however, says that spiritual formation "really occurs in the 'underground curriculum' that is a part of everyday seminary life: prayer meetings, chapels, student involvement in their local church internships, and participation in mentoring programs."

Says Biblical Seminary's Mangum, "We make a point of telling students that the heart is desperately wicked and deceptive. One desiring true spiritual formation needs a submissive heart and ears listening to the Spirit. Additionally, they need the eyes and ears of other wise, spiritually mature persons who are empowered to speak into their lives."

Mangum adds, "We also make a point of telling students early and often that if they want to be perfunctory about spiritual formation, they can certainly succeed in fooling everyone—except God."

At Antioch, character is considered more important than knowledge or ministry skills. Says Kemp, "Lots of educators talk about the 'know, be, do' or the 'heart, head, hands, feet' models, but tend to address them individually. A distinctive of Antioch's is a balanced, integrated emphasis on character, skills, and ministry."

One could argue that it doesn't matter how skilled a pastor is if he or she does not exhibit spiritual maturity. But one could also argue that spiritual maturity, while necessary, is not in and of itself sufficient for effectiveness. Thus, the seminary experience would not be complete without attention to helping students recognize and develop their ministry skills—their gifts.

According to Multnomah's Brake, ministry training requires extensive "on-the-job-training" through internships in churches, faculty mentoring, and foreign missions exposure. "Multnomah takes training in the skills of preaching and leadership very seriously," says Brake. "The first day pastors sit behind [their] desk, they should know what to do and where to begin."

"We believe that the Bible and its theology are inherently practical," says Beeson's House. "Thus, we require courses in ministry leadership, preaching, cross-cultural ministry, and several other key elements of ministry. We understand that we can merely help students get started with foundations and beginning steps in these areas. They must grow as they form believers through evangelism, disciple making, and counseling."

Most agree that learning to preach is perhaps the most important skill students expect to develop at seminary. This is especially important at seminaries that serve churches where worship centers on preaching. By and large, people in congregations can tolerate a lot of deficiencies if the pastor can consistently preach sermons that touch on the issues congregants are facing and offer strength to make it through the week.

Reformed Seminary achieves this by employing teachers who are practitioners. Among them is Steve Brown, who teaches at the seminary's Orlando campus. A pastor with many years of experience, Brown is an example of a highly gifted communicator, as evidenced by his popular Key Life Ministry and his weekly radio ministry.

Students in Denver Seminary's M.Div. program take homiletics courses that require them to preach in front of their classes and sometimes the whole school. Beeson's House notes that one of Beeson's priorities is "to provide what students must have to fulfill the biblical portrait of 'a pastor who can preach.' "

Seminaries address not only the content of sermons, but also aesthetic considerations. Fuller's Schmit speaks of "the five engagements of preaching," explaining that "effective preaching engages the text. It engages the context. It engages theology. It engages the mind, and finally, it engages the heart of the listeners."

"In the sermon, we are not simply trying to change someone's mind," he says. "We are trying to bring the Word of God into conversation with the soul-deep level of faith in each person."

Seminaries are increasingly modifying their curricula and approaches to education in order to keep the church relevant in a complex world. September 11, 2001, for example, led to some schools adding courses in areas like crisis counseling.

This suggests willingness on the part of seminaries to adapt to changing times and to increase students' "cultural awareness quotient." Multnomah includes field trips on which students speak with leaders from non-Christian religious traditions.

Biblical Seminary, meanwhile, has a strong emphasis on developing change agents, a goal that presumes a thorough understanding of the world. Says Biblical's Mangum, "We want graduates who can successfully lead teams of people to innovate and implement change. Our theological conclusion is that we are moving into a period of adaptive change and that the church is ill-prepared. We want to train leaders who are sensitive to the leading of the Spirit … fulfilling his calling in courageous ways."

In the final analysis, the seminary experience is not what it used to be. Gone are the days when curricula focused solely on the Bible, theology, and church history, assuming that everything else was left to the pastor to learn on the job.

To be sure, seminaries have not forgotten pastoral-ministry basics. As Asbury's Kalas puts it, "We want to prepare our students to be sensitive to people, to their needs and their potential. We seek in every way to instill a love for parish ministry."

With just a few years, it's impossible for a seminary to turn out people who are spiritually mature, first-rate Bible scholars, superb administrators, and inspiring preachers who are fully aware of their cultural context. In other words, despite the many positive changes seminaries have made and continue to make, no seminary would claim it turns out perfect pastors.

But seminaries are producing graduates who are pursuing spiritual maturity, setting a positive example, and helping others do the same. They may not be leading scholars, but their preaching and pastoral ministries are rooted in solid, biblical theology. Though not perfect, they are servants of God who are aware of their limitations and confident they are in the place God wants them to be. And the people in their congregations across the country and around the world are better for it.

Randall L. Frame, a freelance writer and editor, also serves as Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at Palmer Seminary.

Part 2: New Challenges, New Classes

Part 3: Helping Future Pastors Flourish

Part 4: Theology for the Non-Pastor