As some of you know, a few months back, I took some of the kids from the student ministry at NCF on an overnight trip to a concert featuring a number of Christian musicians. We had a great time at the concert, and the trip itself was a great time of fellowship and edification.

Like many people who come into contact with musicians, athletes, and other celebrity heroes, some of the kids at the concert (both from my church and others) wanted autographs from tobyMac, Jeremy Camp, and Matthew West. However, instead of signing glossy photos, ticket stubs, CDs, or whatever common things one might get signed, apparently it is somewhat of a custom at Christian events for the artists to sign the person’s Bible.

I had never seen that before, and honestly, it didn’t sit well with me. 

Now, to be clear, I’m not the kind of person who thinks that your personal Bible is a special book that must be kept perfectly pristine. If anything, the best Bible is a well-read one, and use results in wear and tear. The Word of God is inspired and holy, but the physical book you buy from Barnes and Noble isn’t divine. I have no problem writing in a Bible, and have notes all over the text of the Bible that I use to preach and teach from. My main Bible for the first few years of my Christian walk was covered in duct tape, and I only got rid of that when I switched to the ESV in 2004, so for me, it isn’t an issue of presentation or thinking that the book is sacred. And I’m certainly not a goofball who thinks that having tobyMac sign a Bible is a violation of the scripture in Revelation which says adding to scripture is sinful.

That said, I don’t know, maybe I’m just a legalist…but I just don’t like some random person signing the Bible. I’m not dogmatic about it, and I’m not going to scream at someone who gets his or her Bible signed by some Christilebrity. It just seems like there are better items to use for that. Am I the only who thinks this way?

2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV):

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

I am a graduate of Davis College in Johnson City, NY. I earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Bible (while the school was called Practical Bible College) and a Bachelor of Religious Education degree in Theology and Church Ministries. Since graduating in 2005, I have continued to study independently, always seeking to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. In some ways, I have grown more during this period of non-matriculated study than I did in the years I spent in college.

However, like many pastors, I do truly value formal education. I originally planned to attend seminary about a year after I graduated from college, but that plan didn’t mesh up with what God had in store for my family and I.

God has given my wife and I two incredible blessings in the form of our kids, Elijah and Moriah. He has also chosen to use me as a pastor at North Country Fellowship Church, and I currently split my work time between the church and a secular job in the healthcare field.

I still very much want to complete an MDiv, but if I do so, I don’t think it would be possible for me to do so as a full time resident student given my family responsibilities. Also, since God has called me to service at NCF, I doubt I’ll be able to enroll in a regular residential program. As far as I can tell, that leaves the following options:

The first option is to find a commuter program. There are a handful of seminaries within a couple hundred miles of my location. MidAmerica Baptist (Northeast Branch), Nyack, Northeastern, and Rochester Colgate are all here in NY. Baptist Bible Seminary is just over the border in Clarks Summit, PA. Theoretically, I could commute to one of those schools if they had an appropriate commuter study program (such as MidAmerica and Northeastern do). However, depending on the school, I may not be a good cultural or theological fit. Also, with the hazardous travel conditions of our harsh winters and the rising cost of gasoline up here, it may not be feasible.

The second option is a distance-learning program. There are a number of online seminary programs, however many are simply unaccredited degree-mills. Liberty has an online MDiv program that looks interesting, however, Ergun Caner’s rhetoric does bother me, and I am still concerned with the degree being perceived as less quality than a more traditional degree. Regardless, it’s an accessible and affordable option.

The third option is a hybrid program. Bethel and Western both offer InMinistry programs for pastors who are just that: in ministry. Both are ATS accredited, and involve online and in-person coursework, generally completed through on-campus intensives. Western looks especially interesting, as it is missional in its approach, is affiliated with CBAmerica (offering scholarships to CB pastors like myself), and recently graduated one of my heroes, Mark Driscoll, with an MA in Exegetical Theology.

So, the question is, given my circumstances, do I put off (or perhaps never engage in) traditional seminary education, or do I get further equipped by availing myself of some of these atypical options? 

Better yet, does anyone know of a conservative missional seminary campus or extension site opening up in Syracuse in the next few years?

Proverbs 19:21 (ESV):

Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

God’s sovereign plan often amazes me, especially when the plans that we make for ourselves are overruled and we are sent on a different path than the one we might choose for ourselves.

After my first year of college, I decided to persue a degree in Theology, and transferred to Davis College.  When I arrived I made a number of new friends, many of who wanted to serve as pastors, missionaries, and in other ministry positions.  Two of the guys who desired to be pastors are still dear friends of mine.  

When I arrived at Davis, I had absolutely no desire to be a pastor.  I wanted to know more about my newfound faith, as I had only been a Christian for a year, but occupational ministry was not on my radar.  I thought it might be good to get an undergrad degree at Davis, and then go on for a masters in counseling or political science, with the goal of serving as a counselor or professor.

During that first (sophomore) year I felt God calling me to the pastorate.  I did a pastoral internship at North Country Fellowship in the summer of 2003, and haven’t looked back.  I’m now serving bi-occupationally as a Pastor/Elder at North Country Fellowship, and would like to go full time at some point in the future, Lord willing.

You know what happened to my two close friends who wanted to be pastors?  One discerned that he wasn’t called to be a pastor, but was called to counsel professionally. He is now working to finish a masters degree in marriage and family therapy.  The other guy is currently serving as a Youth Pastor, but is working on his MDiv, with the ultimate goal of earning a PhD and a professorship.

Funny how we all sort of swapped paths a bit, eh?