Nine Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Seminary

One of life’s most important questions for
those pursuing ministry preparation is which seminary to attend. One should not choose a seminary lightly. In fact, I
would encourage anyone considering seminary not to move forward with their
choice without having these questions satisfactorily answered:

What are the
Seminary’s Confessional Commitments?

Every student should know what he can expect to be taught, and he
or she should know that from the beginning. Does the institution have a
confessional statement? Is it actually used as a functioning instrument of
accountability? What does the seminary believe and teach about the Bible, the
gospel, human sexuality, marriage, and gender? As a prospective student, does
the confessional statement align with your convictions? Is the seminary
positioned to undergird, not undermine, your faith?

Midwestern Seminary is
unapologetically a confessional institution, happily teaching in accordance
with, and not contrary to, the Baptist Faith &
Message 2000. Additionally, our professors ink their names to the Chicago Statement on
Biblical Inerrancy and the Danvers Statement on
Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.

What is the Seminary’s
Purpose?

 Why does the seminary
say they exist? Can you state plainly its calling, and does that calling
resonate with yours? If you do not know why the seminary exists, the seminary
might not know why it exists either. Every seminary worthy of your
consideration ought to be about the business of serving the church. At
Midwestern Seminary, we have ensconced that front and center. We exist for
the Church.

For the Church is our guiding vision,
shaping every decision we make; every position we fill; every event we host;
every initiative we launch; and, most definitely, every class we teach. A
seminary is not required to have “for the church” as their official mission
statement, but they must be a pre-committed institution—pre-committed to the
church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Who does the Seminary
Serve?

This question is similar to the previous one. Every seminary has
a constituency—someone they look to please and under whose oversight they
serve. For some seminaries, that might be an active alumni base, a generous
group of donors, or some other subset of their denomination.

When you figure out who they serve, that will tell you much,
much more about the school. It will tell you the type of faculty they will
hire, the campus culture they cultivate, the events they’ll likely sponsor, and
a host of other things.

How Much Will It Cost?

In North America, higher education costs are skyrocketing. This
is true in every realm of study, including theological education. Thankfully,
due to the Cooperative Program, Southern Baptist seminaries remain affordable,
especially when compared to other evangelical institutions.

Yet, even for institutions that are generously supported by
their denomination, you should carefully review what they charge. What are
their tuition and fees? What is the cost of living on or near campus? Are there
hidden fees buried within their catalogue? These are urgent questions because
they will impact how much you have to work during seminary, how quickly you can
complete your degree, and the extent to which you may have to take on
indebtedness.

Is the School Spiritually
Vibrant?

Admittedly, this is a difficult assessment to make from a
distance, but it is an important question to consider. Is the seminary a dry
place, which so prizes academic achievement that the spiritual disciplines are
not upheld and celebrated?

Is there a warmth and vibrancy to chapel hour? Is prayer,
Bible-intake, worship, evangelism, personal holiness, and other spiritual
disciplines cherished? Do you get a sense that godly men are leading and
attempting to build a God-honoring institution?

Will There Be Ministry
Opportunities?

Every seminary worth its salt will have formal, local-church
expectations for its students. Minimally, this will include active church
membership. Yet, students ought to desire much more than this. The best
ministry preparation couples classroom instruction with the weekly local-church
service.

Therefore, you should not only look for a healthy seminary, but
healthy churches near the seminary in which you can plug in and, perhaps, enjoy
a paid ministry position.

What is the School’s
Faculty Like?

It is impossible for a seminary to rise beyond its faculty. They
are entrusted with the sacred responsibility to pass on the truth of Scripture
from one generation to the next. Therefore, you should ask yourself, who
teaches there? What are they known for? Would you like to study with them? Will
they be accessible to you? Are they willing to invest in you personally?

This is more than a rundown of who has published what (though
writing is an essential part of a faculty member’s work). If theological
education was merely about publications, you could just buy books, read them,
and save yourself a lot of time and money. Rather, does the faculty actually
invest in students? Are internships available? Are leading professors present
and accessible? Does the faculty view students as an interruption to their
calling or as their calling?

What is the Campus
Community Like?

Seminary is so much more than the formal teaching that takes
place in the classroom. Yes, ministry preparation is taught—but it is also
caught. This takes place over coffee, in chapel, at campus events, in student
housing, and in countless other venues. Is the campus community one in which
you can envision yourself growing in Christ and in your ministry pursuit?

This is more than an assessment of amenities and events, but
what is the vibe on the ground? Is it a cheerful institution? Are the faculty,
staff, and students happy to be there and encouraged about their future? Is the
seminary a natural place of encouragement, organic discipleship, and group
synergy toward kingdom matters?

Is the Great
Commission Celebrated?

Lastly, is personal evangelism and the Great Commission a box to
be checked or is it actually an essential part of the seminary community? Does
the institution long for the Lord to call out workers of the harvest? Are
outreach opportunities and international mission trips front and center? Does
the faculty engage in personal evangelism and let it shape their classroom
instruction? Do you sense a burden for lostness, a love for the community, and
a heart for the nations? If not, you will probably be best served by another
seminary.

In Conclusion

Ministry is too high a calling to enter it ill-prepared, and
seminary is too serious a decision to choose lightly. There are other
considerations one should make in choosing a seminary, but these nine are
essentials.

I am grateful to God for the institution that he as entrusted to
me—Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. By his grace, these nine questions
can all be answered positively. As well they should, the needs of the church
are too urgent for any other outcome.

Do not enroll in a seminary without carefully considering these
nine points. Nothing short of your ministry calling—and the church of the Lord
Jesus Christ—is at stake.

*This article was originally published on 4/27/16*

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