A Word to Students in the Midst of Controversy

For the moment there is a pause in the saga at our sister school in Philadelphia (WTS/Phila). As you probably know, the board voted to suspend Peter Enns, and they will consider how and whether to proceed further. One element of the . . . Continue reading →

How Not To Train Pastors

I see that someone is starting an(other?) online seminary. The whole business of online/distance seminary education is troubling. Because the confessional Reformed churches (i.e., NAPARC) are conservative and theologically oriented, we tend to attract ideologically committed folks. That’s okay but it means . . . Continue reading →

Office Hours: Enforcing Law And Preaching Grace

Office Hours Video

The primary mission of Westminster Seminary California is to prepare men for pastoral ministry. That’s what they have been doing since 1980. They have more than 1100 graduates serving the Lord across the globe and here in the USA, most of whom . . . Continue reading →

Why “Distributed” Pastoral Education Is Not The Solution

There are problems with the traditional model for preparing pastors but some of the proposed alternatives are worse. One of those is “Distributed Education” model. The traditional model is that you have 20 professors on campus and all the students have to . . . Continue reading →

Resources On Pastoral Education

The internet has created a new world of possibilities for education. Seminaries and theological colleges have seized upon the potential of the internet by offering online courses and online degrees. For older non-traditional students, for those who already have families and other . . . Continue reading →

How Not to Train Pastors (Part 1)

I wrote this near the very beginning of the Heidelblog in 2007. As high-speed internet service was becoming more widespread, online education was beginning to catch on and many seminaries were beginning to adopt it. The world has changed since then. The . . . Continue reading →

How Not To Train Pastors (Part 3)

I wrote this and “How Not To Train Pastors (Part 1)” and “How Not To Train Pastors (Part 2)” near the very beginning of the Heidelblog in 2007. This portion of the essay began as a response to a correspondent on the . . . Continue reading →