General Dwight Eisenhower once mused that when it comes to warfare the plan is nothing but planning is everything. That aphorism brushes up against a reality for seminaries as well: the less predictable the future of theological education is, the more we must work to predict it. Or, better yet, the more we must work to determine it. Keeping these ten determinations will help ensure a healthy future for Southern Baptist theological education. Read more

In the world of theological education, the Master of Divinity degree has long been the gold standard for ministry preparation, and its status is well deserved. In it, one finds the complete toolkit for ministry service: Greek and Hebrew, New Testament and Old Testament, theology, church history, preaching, pastoral care and counseling, evangelism, missions, and much, much more.

Yet, in many seminaries, the Master of Divinity degree has fallen on hard times. In recent years, shorter and less rigorous Master of Arts degrees have syphoned off students from the Master of Divinity degree. Read more

This week, Midwestern Seminary hosted what will become our triennial SBC Symposium, where leaders from across the Southern Baptist Convention come together to discuss issues facing Southern Baptists. This years theme was “Reflection, Renewal, and Recommitent.” For my portion of the symposium, I addressed “Southern Baptist Theological Education in the 21st Century.” Read more

Recently, I was interviewed by Dick Bott at the Bott Radio Network on the great need that churches have for well prepared and trained ministers. I discuss, as I have elsewhere, that the Master of Divinity is the golden standard of theological education, and that it is the degree that best prepares future ministers for the task of ministry. I also discuss Midwestern Seminary’s recent retooling of our Master of Divinity degree into an 81 credit hour degree. You can listen to the interview here.

Recently, I had the opportunity be interviewed by Dick Bott on the Bott Radio Network. During the course of the program, I was able to discuss topics such as the vision and mission of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and College, theological higher education, the need for churches to have prepared ministers, the secularization of American culture, and much more. You can listen to the whole interview here. Read more