In an article posted August 4 on the Christian Courier website, Wayne Jackson has some good advice for men desiring to preach the gospel and how to prepare for that work. His advice about attending a “Christian college” is particularly good. His concerns about such an education are some of the ones I have as well. This is what he had to say:
First, unless there are sizable scholarships or grants available, the tuitions are so astronomical that the young student will spend many years paying off the debt—unless his family has the wealth to pay his way. Otherwise he will cripple his family with a financial obligation that is far in excess of the value of the education he receives.
It is an unfortunate situation that young preachers frequently are told that they cannot be successful as proclaimers of God’s truth unless they have bachelors, masters, or even doctorate degrees. This educational “ladder,” of course, is designed to lead to the larger churches and higher salaries. Is there any room left these days for dedication, self-discipline, and sacrifice? No responsible person disdains a good education, but in many cases the “formal” program is significantly oversold.
Second, it now is the grim reality that while there are some good men teaching college Bible courses, most Christian universities are infested with one or more teachers who are doctrinally jaded. When schools solicit men directly out of sectarian seminaries who are steeped with false ideas and harbor them simply because of their degree status or their popularity with students, it is time for reassessing the ministerial programs.
It also is prudent to take a fresh look at those who are crafting such enterprises. Some school administrators, who dream of an illustrious legacy in terms of buildings and financial endowments, may be surprised to learn that history will attribute to them an alteration in direction that led to an institution afflicted with doctrinal apostasy.
Most of the accredited institutions have moved light years away from the convictions of the godly men who founded them and sacrificed so much for their success. Almost none (if any) of those giants of faith would be allowed to teach today in the very schools they established.
In addition to these things, he also has some good comments about regular Bible study and sermon preparation. You can read the whole article here: Preparing to Preach by Wayne Jackson (Christian Courier).
