Seminary Shake-Ups: Tennant & Miller Take On New Roles
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ก.ค. 2024
- The world of Methodist seminaries, and seminaries that are seeking to cater to the Global Methodist Church, is experiencing some large shifts right now. This segment covers just a few developments worthy of note, with changes in presidential positions signaling sea change moments worthy of optimism.
Links:
Article on Miller's Selection - wbs.edu/news/miller-president...
Article on Tennant's Selection - www.samford.edu/beeson-divini... - บันเทิง
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My time at Asbury Theological Seminary was absolutely awesome. I was able to take classes from Dr. Collins, Dr. Oswalt, Dr. Russell, Dr. Seamands, Dr. Witherington, Dr. Keener, Dr. Pasquarello, Dr. Stratton, and so many more. I went there after a huge renewal in my life in my early 30s, and after teaching and coaching public school for 12 yrs. The professors and community on campus were foundational in my life and a powerful means of God’s grace at work through that community and continues today through relationships formed during that time.
"many are severely damaged by their contact with the dark and faithless people in these institutions" That is what I remember you saying. My wife and I went to St. Paul School of Theology. I think this is a severe understatement of the problem but, as always, I appreciate your discretion and refusal to drop down to the name calling and indictment that these "loud gongs and clashing symbols" of heretical and satanic poison deserve - I cannot be so graceful about them. I remember the seminary talking about stress and giving each of their students a dot that read our stress level. My dot was a happy green. During the "health fair" I began talking to two other students about seminary and our instructors and we looked down and all of our pleasant green dots had turned black which was not good. Far from the seminaries helping pastoral students with their stress and problems they were far too often the source of it. I was never so profoundly disappointed in a religious institution in my life...and I include the inquisition in that. At least the inquisition acted hundreds of years ago and didn't profess they were acting out of "tolerance and love" for their fellow leftists. Of course, if your not woke, "no tolerance and love for you." One fellow seminarian said he was talking with his academic counselor and they stopped him and said, "Wait, you actually believe this stuff? I thought you were an educated person." My wife and I found St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City..."a dangerous hive of scum and villainy"...as Obi-Wan would say. - When I talk about the corruption and lack of godliness in my DS's I pointedly am excluding one...the DS who was a graduate of Asbury Seminary and actually believed in the Virgin Birth and the testimony of the Bible. The others in the Methodist Hierarchy were too often what I call. "company men." I actually told one "the Methodist Church didn't call me into ministry, God did, If it is a choice of who I am going to please the Methodist Church loses." My insanity was apparent...I mean what kind of pastor actually believes he can discern guidance from God? Certainly not a United Methodist the fact that I spent an hour in prayer and meditation each day was further proof to my DS that I was some kind of religious fanatic - that is overstated - there ARE some wonderfully godly men and women who are (or rather used to be,) pastors in the UMC, now I think anyone faithful has had to have gone elsewhere.
I went to Garrett-Evangelical back in the early 1980s but I got over it. There were a couple of former EUB professors there, Richard Stegner and James Stein, who watched out for the theologically conservative students that helped me get through. I have maintained a traditional theology and just retired a year ago and have moved to the Global Methodist Church.
It's been public for some time now that Tennent was stepping down as ATS' President. And I don't think he is leaving ATS per se. I am pretty sure he will still teach a class or 2 for them. What's news that he is joining Beeson.
Beeson is a solid and highly respected seminary in the evangelical world. FWIW, when I was looking at seminaries 10+ years ago, my bible prof who was helping me discern seminaries at one point threw down a Beeson brochure at me and simply but emphatically said "That's where you need to go." Ultimately went to ATS instead. Point is, Beeson has a good reputation too.
"Sister school" probably just means there is a strong relationship between the institutions in terms of sharing faculty, faculties running in the same circles/academic societies, collaborating in ministry, etc. Before he left for Beeson, Michael Pasquaraello was senior preaching prof at ATS for several years.
Just wanted to say I like the new look! You are rocking it dad!!
Proud Asbury Grad and enjoyed my time there !
Beeson is a part of Samford University, a Baptist school, but the divinity school has always been specifically interdenominational. I am not sure why they mention Asbury as a sister institution except for the fact that the seed money to start Beeson was from 50% of Mr. Beeson’s estate while the other 50% was given to Asbury Seminary. Mr. Beeson’s father was a Methodist pastor.
Whoever controls the seminaries controls the denomination.
Theological Liberalism starts at the seminary level and works its way down. We conservatives lost the UMC b/c we focused on keeping control General Conference when what needed to do was take back the seminaries.
The Beeson Family provided very large contributions to both Asbury and Beeson Divinity so that is the big relationship between the two. I think it was because some of the Beesons were Methodist and some of them were Baptist but could be wrong on that.
Interesting history!
Where’s the famed Duke University Divinity School????? I earned my M.Div. in 2003 from Duke. Honestly, I’m not too keen on conservative seminaries as I want to learn from every angle. I’m earning my D.Min. from a conservative Baptist seminary and the professor glossed over a thorough background of the Epistles of John saying it wasn’t important (thank God for my DDS education!!). For example, although I do not accept evolution as fact, I know about it. I will say as I was completing my studies at Duke it was the beginning of becoming radically liberal. I guess what “saved” me is I went there at age 30 and was rooted and grounded in the Holy Scriptures, although my faith was tested…whew!!! My overall point is I want to know. I know how to synthesize through the information. Go Duke!!! And the Church said “Amen!”
Dr. Tennent transferred his leadership to Dr. Gyerston on July 1st
Damaged former seminary student here. It wasn't a Methodist seminary, but it nearly destroyed me.
I hope the GMC can rectify this.
Did seminary "deconstruct" your faith?
@@theelizabethan1 deconstruction did happen, but not as a result of seminary. Which resulted in a reconstruction, oriented back to my childhood faith of Methodism, away from modern evangelicalism.
God is faithful. If the message wasn't so powerful they wouldn't need to attack it so vigorously.
You should check out Highlands College in Birmingham.
I haven’t attended seminary classes but have taken the majority of classes required by the UMC’s Course of Study program. In my experience, the leaning of courses either progressive or conservative was dependent upon the institution or conference where they were taught. I took several courses at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio and found that the majority of instructors and students were very progressive in their thinking and practice. I also took courses offered in the Holston Conference and the Appalachian Local Pastors School and found the instructors and students to be very conservative and sound in doctrine and theology. I would be interested in getting your opinion on the UMC Course of Study program, if you view it as an effective approach to preparing local bivocational pastors to serve churches in a faithful way. Also, does the GMC have or plan to launch something similar to the Course of Study program?
I have taken classes from both and I found the Course of Study Program to be an order of magnitude more traditional than seminary. Partially, I got the impression that "we simplified the content" because "local license pastors aren't ready for what you are getting in seminary." I don't remember the name of the instructor who told me that but I can still see his face clearly. In many ways I thought local licensed pastor school was producing a more "pastoral" product than seminary and I have found many course of study UMC pastors who were more in line with what I think a pastor should be...except that I have a clear feeling that a pastor should be the subject matter expert and resident scholar of his church (I know that is a very 18th century view of the pastorate but it is important to me,) I just don't think that is what the UMC seminaries are producing. Now, you have wider experience than me. All of my course of study and seminary training were connected to St. Paul in KC.
I had a very positive experience at Ashland Theological Seminary. I was there in the early nineties. Dr. Ben Witherington and Dr. Bill Arnold were still there.
I had a very positive experience at Ashland Theological Seminary. I was there in the early nineties. Dr. Ben Witherington and Dr. Bill Arnold were still there.
That's right, my seminary, Asbury is at the top... of course maybe that is because of alphabetical order. (God bless all these schools!)
Queer Inclusion in the United Methodist Church , I think is the book that Jeffrey mentioned as a requirement for Seminary training
I found that METHESCO, my ethnics professor was the most worst class that I have ever taken.
I have also taught ethnics myself in as a professor.
It was abundantly obvious that those students like myself who used the Bible were criticized. The Bible was not to be trusted as a source of ethical reasoning.
In using people such as Kierkegaard and others, my professor (fully ordained elder in the UMC) accepted that perfectly.
To his credit, when I used humanistic philosophy and backed him into a corner and pushed. He didn’t fail me although I made him look foolish.
It’s why I never finished my MDiv. I got an MBA and a doctorate instead.
I felt that I could witness Jesus Christ better there and with that education than with that MDiv.
Sad.
To his credit though, even though I put him in the water and embarrassed him. He still gave me the A that I think that I earned.
But the seminary needs to be Christian.
Isn’t that something that should be a given?
I learned a great deal about God from Seminary and was introduced to some wonderful theologians but over half of my instructors were like this professor you speak of and had an agenda. There were four that were outstanding and I took them whenever possible. I think you came to a correct conclusion. Most of my fellow students continued in ministry despite their MDIV and not because of it. Over half of them now serve other churches if they still serve at all. Some of the most sincere and godly women and men in seminary dropped out because they felt persecuted. I'm too stubborn and had the foolish notion that if I could defend myself in that environment I could defend it anywhere. I had two professors try to intervene to sabotage my graduation however. It seemed to be personal for them. Yes, I agree with you, a seminary should be...at the very least...Christian. Most UMC Seminaries are not.
United?!!! I'm a conservative evangelical who received my D.Min from United in 2007. From my perspective, if they are still on the same far left trajectory, it will be impossible for them to be acceptable to the GMC.