Daily Archives: January 17, 2012

Will You Survive Seminary?

91%

I ran into this little quiz over at http://www.goingtoseminary.com. It’s a good site if you’re looking to take the plunge or if you’re already neck deep into it. I took the quiz and I suppose did fairly well – though the questions aren’t all that penetrating. (How many children do I have named after dead theologians? None, I think.)

Come to think of it, I’m not really certain what “surviving seminary” is supposed to mean. So having loads of free time (heh) I sat and pondered it for a bit. As I mulled the meaning over in my mind I heard the Lord whisper into my heart a startling answer.

Since I finished my time at Moody I have yearned to return to seminary. Since I sat down in Dr. Ron Sauer’s Greek class(es) I began yearning for a masters degree in Biblical Languages.

Having put it off for years because the timing wasn’t right or for whatever other reasons came up at the time, I do not wish to wait any longer. I want to go back to seminary. Technically I suppose I’m not “going back” since Moody Bible Institute isn’t exactly a seminary – it’s a Bible College. Nevertheless I desire a masters degree.

To that end I’ve begun the Master’s program at Lincoln Christian Seminary (Henceforth LCU) in Lincoln Illinois this fall.

This decision was not reached in a vacuum. It comes on the heals of prayer, expresses the fulfillment of a deep seated desire, and has the blessing of my wife.

When embarking on a large undertaking it is wise to seek counsel and then make your decision. To that end I did a bit of searching concerning the return to seminary.

A few years ago Mark Dever wrote about How to Pick a Seminary. In the article which I pulled from the digital mothballs he provides five factors to consider in picking a seminary.
In brief they are:

1. Confession of Faith
2. Quality of Education
3. Cost
4. Church
5. Connections for Life