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page 7 of 33
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From Call to Settlement |
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by Lloyd M. Hall, Jr.
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Normal educational preparation
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Henry David Gray repeats the absolute consensus of American
Congregationalism:
In academic terms, training procedure has varied throughout the world...
In the United States the common requisites are:
If we have the blessing of being called to ministry before pursuing
our college degree, there are more options open to us.
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It is important to select a college or university that has full
accreditation with the appropriate accrediting body for
academic institutions.
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Our majors and minors can be selected with our professional
goals in mind. This does not mean that a religion or preministerial major is necessarily the best choice. A broad based
liberal arts education that will bring intellectual familiarity with
a number of fields may serve us better, knowing that religious
studies will be what Seminary is about.
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An advisor can walk with us through the degree program. This
ought to be someone in addition to the academic advisor
provided by the college since the issues are not the same. We
need someone who will help us complete a course of study that
will best equip us for the work ahead. This ecclesiastical advisor
may well be someone who is assigned through the In-Care
process. (pg.
9)
If responding to the call comes at a time that will require a career
change and the college work is already completed, the B.A. (or
B.S. or other) is a requirement already met. If a degree was not
completed or the work comes from an unaccredited institution, the
candidate for ordination should seek counsel on the appropriate
course to follow. Admission requirements for Seminary will be a
strong determinant here.
The Seminary selected ought to meet the accreditation
requirements of the Association of Theological Schools of the
United States and Canada.
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Not "any seminary" will do. The seminary selected needs to
meet the student's personal and professional needs. It needs to
provide an academic challenge that will help to achieve
without defeating. The "culture" of the seminary needs to be
one with which the student is comfortable.
- The theological range of expression among the Seminary's
faculty and students ought to be broad enough to confront the
student but with sufficient support for her place in the spectrum
(granting that that may change before graduation).
- The Seminary ought to be strongly geared to equipping men
and women for the type of ministries to which they have been
called. Preparation as a graduate-level teacher of religion may
not be the best preparation for a parish minister. Seminaries
have different strengths and this should be part of the decision-making process. Again, the ecclesiastical advisor should be of
great help.
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9
Gray, op. cit., p 728 |
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National Association of Congregational Christian
Churches
PO Box 288, Oak Creek, WI 53154 |
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