by David Armstrong

Why get formal education and training?
Why repeat other people’s mistakes? Why not make original ones? Other people have gone before you and learned things that can aid you in preparation for the mission field.

Whether it is formal or informal, benefiting from the experience and wisdom of others is what education and training are about. And it is not something you do once and then forget about it. It must be a lifetime habit. Whether it is a conversation with a peer over coffee, four hours listening to a conference speaker or the distillation of a leader’s best thoughts into a book, you regularly need it to sharpen your mind and skills.

Formal training is regularly scheduled and available at various Bible Schools and Seminaries. Training at one of these is recognized by mission organizations and ministries. You can accomplish the same on your own, but you are on your own – both to figure out what you need, how and where to get what you need and then to convince an organization that you now have what you need.

Bible school
I grew up in a good solid church where the Bible and life application were regularly preached; I taught vacation Bible school, Sunday School and clubs such as AWANA during High School, which further got me in the Word. So for me, Bible School is where I synthesized what I believed. There I systematized what I had learned in church and on my own and, in a sense, systematized what I teach as well.

Bible Schools offer one to four year programs which will give you a certificate or a Bachelor’s degree in Bible or a ministry area. Some of them also offer a one year intense graduate program giving you a Bible background to complement your Bachelor’s degree in a non-ministry field.

Seminary
If you grow up in a church and you sense God leading you into ministry, you usually go to Bible School for training. If you are saved while in college, and then sense God leading you to ministry, you usually go to Seminary. Seminaries commonly offer a two year Masters of Arts program, a three year Masters of Divinity and a four year Masters of Theology. Other people go to both Bible School and Seminary.

Some Bible Schools and Seminaries are more academic and training institution oriented, others are more pastoral — geared to church ministry — and some focus on missionary preparation.

Seminary broadened my exposure as we talked about all the many heresies, and gave me an understanding of Greek and Hebrew. It also led me to the multitude of resources available for a pastor or missionary. But as I worked with pastors and lay leaders in the cities and countryside of Latin America, it was my Bible School training that I used on a daily and weekly basis. And as far as Bible knowledge, I got far more of that on my own than I did at either Bible School or Seminary.

Some feel that too much time is spent on training, rather than on getting out there and doing. There is no end to the studying that can be done, but the amount needed depends on how and where God intends to use you, and He doesn’t always tell you the details up front. The recommendations of your mission agency and your sense of God’s leading will have to be your guide.

Vocational or skill training?
The kind and the amount of training you need depends on what you will be doing. If you will primarily be using a skill, the more you have developed that skill the better. If you will be involved in church planting, evangelism or leadership training you need the formal training, but also practical experience within a local church.

For direct involvement in ministry, get all of the formal and informal training that you can. If you are going to be working with people who have a high degree of education, a Masters degree is recommended. If you are working with illiterate peoples, less formal ministry preparation is needed, though Bible School or Seminary training will still serve you well.

Oh, all the Chemistry, Physics and European History that I studied in college — in addition to my four years of electronics training and experience in the Air Force — gave me the ability to relate to a broad spectrum of people. Ministry is about people and relationships. A broad background of studies, work and life experience are invaluable. The hands-on workshop about electricity I taught one afternoon to the pastors in the mountains of Western Guatemala was the best attended of the whole week!

Closed countries and seminary transcripts
If God is leading you to a restricted access country, the picture is much more complicated. Your time in Seminary and Bible School will prepare you, but also probably keep you from getting a visa! Such studies imply that you are a religious worker. Therefore, ones skill or professional training must be adequate since it will be your entrance document.

To help with this a good number of Christian Colleges are now offering Intercultural Studies programs that prepare you for serving overseas. They cover many of the cultural and even missiological issues you will face, but they won’t give you the training in Bible and Theology. You will have to commit yourself to being a student of the Word on your own, constantly reading and asking questions.

Again, benefit from the experience and wisdom of others. That is what education and training are really about. Make learning a lifetime habit.

This article is part of the August 2008 issue. It is filed under Missions education, Preparing to go. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Share this post on Facebook.