From: Bob Younce [email protected]
My senior shake-out actually occurred during my first semester of seminary, but it began during my senior year.
During that time, I met my wife; she had a 2 year-old from her first marriage. Things were tight financially, and I had to make a choice about whether to stay in or get out; I got out. Now Five years, a profitable career, and 2 kids later I'm rediscovering my call to ministry, and intend to re-enter seminary in the fall.
Was my delay disobedience? In retrospect, I'm not sure that I can say whether or not it was. At the time, I fully believed that I was doing the right thing. However, as you said, "sooner more than later you will have to choose between obedience to the call, or disobedience". Now, I have not only a wife and step-daughter to support, but two other children to support, and I often wonder if it might not have been easier (at least financially) to stick with my original path. In addition, my rediscovery of the call isn't sitting too well with my wife, as we've become very comfortable with our life and income.
I really think I'd have been better off if I would have stuck with it the first time around. Maybe my situation will make a student who is in a similar situation make a better choice than I did.
Bob Younce Systems Administrator Midland, MI 48640
From: "Billy Sunday" [email protected]
I have to believe that there are a lot of people going to seminary looking for a career. In fact, I will even go further and submit that there are those that make it 10, 20, and even 30 years in a career without ever getting washed out --- but they have nothing more than a career.
I believe that a person that has a true calling does not even have a need to go to school to learn how to be a preacher. If God wants an educated man, then he will call an educated man. I can't find one instance in the Bible where God called a man to preach/teach, and then sent him to man for training. The apostle Paul said he was made a minister by the working of the Spirit.
This may sound harsh, but too many are going to school looking for a career in the ministry, and we are turning out a lot of educated fools.
From: [email protected]
God will not call you where His grace will not keep you.
-- Keli Rugenstein
From: "Rod Pickett" [email protected]
Of course, you've put your finger on something important, but there is another dynamic at work here. The transition from "the protective IWU nest" into the real world where most of the students will find themselves is far too abrupt. (I know that some things have been attempted to address this problem, such as practicum. But those don't seem to help much.)
This problem is caused by many factors.
1) Most students, myself included, leave school with an arrogant attitude.
We've studied things man