Friday, September 16, 2005

the sky is the limit

The idea of seminary is something that Rick and I contemplate often. Although neither of us consider it absolutely necessary for him to go, we know that it would be an invaluable resource for life and ministry. And if at all possible, I would love to attend with him. Infact, I salivate at the mere thought.

We've considered courses through the internet, extension and even uprooting and moving to a campus. However, not believing it's God's timing for the latter - the two former choices seem more plausible right now. As far as what school to attend - we've looked at most of the Southern Baptist seminaries, but have also considered some other venues not as traditional. Here's a selection of our educational ponderings.

Reformed Theological Seminary could be a possibility for many reasons. It has a nearby campus in Atlanta, as well as Orlando and other parts of the country. RTS offers masters and doctoral programs in biblical studies, religion, missions, apologetics, etc. They also have internet courses available, though I'm not sure how extensive the on line program is. Obviously, they are unapologetically Reformed in nature, hence the name. In their own words, "RTS is committed to the authority of the Scriptures and the call on every believer to seek the perceptive application of biblical principles to every area of life. We believe in the Reformed Faith as a 'reforming' faith, based in the Protestant Reformation and the Scriptures, always asking the question how we might better understand what the Bible is teaching us and how we should then live in this world."

Mars Hill Graduate School is very intriguing, yet it is ever distant and we know very little about it. As their location in Seattle would suggest - the school is supposedly cutting edge in every way imaginable. The mission of Mars Hill is "to train people to be competent in the study of the Scriptures, the human soul, and the culture." They offer programs in areas such as counseling and theology and focus all of their studies around transforming the world with the Gospel. Unfortunately, to my knowledge, the school doesn't yet offer an extension or internet program.

Certainly each school in existence has positive and negative aspects - but I'm sure that there is one out there that is right for us. For whatever educational adventure God leads us in, I'm certain we'll have the priviledge of experiencing a distinct flavor of learning all our own.
posted by Christie
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