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Acts 4:13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.
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I’m not trying to make light of the need for a solid educational background, but God prepares people many different ways for His work. When you discount a person just because he didn’t get a degree from a brick-and-mortar school, you might be missing out. There are other ways to check a person’s theological and leadership strengths and weaknesses than by looking at where they got their “pedigree”.

BTW – I took a couple of courses online through Denver Seminary and they left a lot to be desired from an interaction standpoint. Now on my second term at Rockbridge Seminary, I can attest to a world of difference it makes attending a seminary that is specifically geared towards an online audience of those already in ministry.

There is also the 4-semester Spiritual Formation curriculum, where we meet in a small group and go through a series each semester. This fosters spiritual growth in the context of community.

That’s too bad; you might just find some folks that fall into this category that God has tremendously gifted. I’m attending Rockbridge Seminary right now and am amazed at the growth in understanding that I am seeing already. Of course, it is not based on the traditional style of seminary (http://www.rockbridgeseminary.org/learning-approach), but it is still a great place for growth in knowledge and ministry, IMHO. In addition, you have to be currently serving in ministry to attend and have a mentor for each class taken. While I see a benefit in a brick-and-mortar school, I don’t think that graduates from online/DL schools should be looked at any differently (or at least discounted from the start).

Yes, I’ve read the other comments here, but I think that just by your statement alone, you are discounting your own TTP program.

Meanwhile, again, the question “is this who God has sent?” doesn’t seem to be supported in the Bible.
Yeah, tell that to John the Baptist when he asked exactly that question. Or to the apostles when they were looking to replace Judas.

What an awesome reply! I’m serious — I like your tone and your logic, and your scriptural premises.

But John wasn’t looking for a coworker, but the long-prophesied Messiah. And notice what Jesus replied when John started doubting while in prison: he made a list of qualifications that He fulfilled, based on those prophecies and on the nature of His calling (if I may use that term). In addition, Jesus knew the “My sheep hear My voice…”, while your applicant doesn’t have any such claim on you.

And the apostolic example has two strikes against it. First, unlike you, the apostles weren’t acting with the Holy Spirit, since Pentecost hadn’t come; and second, they didn’t merely ask God for direction, but rather they set up a list of qualifications, and only when they’d reduced the number of candidates did they cast lots.

I could sympathize with anyone who, having two equally qualified candidates, cast lots to choose between them; but I have no sympathy nor agreement with someone who refuses to draw up a list of qualifications before starting the search.

I know you’re not foolish; I see that you allow for some qualifications. You speak of “minimizing” the prequalifications, though, and that’s what I’m warning about. Even Patton, with his desire to build an irenic pastoral staff, has qualifications.

It’s closely allied to the common problem of “seeking God’s will”, by which we normally mean “looking for secret divine revelations made only to us by which we can forego personal responsibility and wisdom”.
Oh, yes – “seeking God’s will” – the height of foolishness.

No. The height (and depth) of foolishness is to not fear the Lord. But wisdom does not consist merely of avoiding foolishness; it’s listening to the whole counsel of God, not merely casting lots for every decision; applying the wisdom and teaching God put into your life, not asking God for new instruction every time any choice arises.

And kindly stop making unwarranted assumptions about what I mean and what my motives are.

This isn’t about you; I’m replying to you only because you make a common error. I don’t know who you are. If you took offense at the problem I described, please consider whether my description might match a problem you actually have. If you think I’m wrong, you shouldn’t be offended, but should feel like I need correction.

If I’m wrong, and I may be, it’s not because I made assumptions about you or about your motives, because that’s not what I did.

-Wm

Meanwhile, again, the question “is this who God has sent?” doesn’t seem to be supported in the Bible.

Yeah, tell that to John the Baptist when he asked exactly that question. Or to the apostles when they were looking to replace Judas.

It’s closely allied to the common problem of “seeking God’s will”, by which we normally mean “looking for secret divine revelations made only to us by which we can forego personal responsibility and wisdom”.

Oh, yes – “seeking God’s will” – the height of foolishness.

And kindly stop making unwarranted assumptions about what I mean and what my motives are.

I don’t mean that there would be no attempt to use wisdom and discernment – just that I would minimize pre-conditions. My primary condition would be “Is this who God has sent?” But that would be determined, at least in part, through interviews, references, personal interaction, prayer and the like.

And in those interviews, references, and personal interactions you’d be applying wisdom by looking for preconditions, whether you’d stated them explicitly or not.

Meanwhile, again, the question “is this who God has sent?” doesn’t seem to be supported in the Bible. It’s closely allied to the common problem of “seeking God’s will”, by which we normally mean “looking for secret divine revelations made only to us by which we can forego personal responsibility and wisdom”. God sometimes communicates to us personally; when He did that in the Bible, though, He didn’t usually offer hints and guidance, but rather absolute commands. He didn’t tell people which fork in the road to take to get to their friend’s house; He told them to leave town and found a new nation.

Our job isn’t to seek out God’s detailed, hidden will; it’s to obey His revealed commands, and one of them is to use the discernment He gave us.

-Wm

“It may seem like over-spiritualizing, but I think I’d just say “Send me who you want,” and trust him to do it.”

If this worked as an objection, you wouldn’t be able to reject anyone based on an interview — you’d just have to pray and trust the resulting feeling.

No, there has to be wisdom and discernment, both gifts granted by the Holy Spirit but exercised by each particular person in his or her own particular way.

So what you’re actually doing isn’t overspiritualizing; you’re actually rejecting the gifts the Bible says the Spirit gives (wisdom, discernment, learning) in favor of ones the Bible says nothing about (sending you only qualified people and you never having to worry about it).

You’re taking that farther than I intend. I don’t mean that there would be no attempt to use wisdom and discernment – just that I would minimize pre-conditions. My primary condition would be “Is this who God has sent?” But that would be determined, at least in part, through interviews, references, personal interaction, prayer and the like.

It may seem like over-spiritualizing, but I think I’d just say “Send me who you want,” and trust him to do it.

If this worked as an objection, you wouldn’t be able to reject anyone based on an interview — you’d just have to pray and trust the resulting feeling.

No, there has to be wisdom and discernment, both gifts granted by the Holy Spirit but exercised by each particular person in his or her own particular way.

So what you’re actually doing isn’t overspiritualizing; you’re actually rejecting the gifts the Bible says the Spirit gives (wisdom, discernment, learning) in favor of ones the Bible says nothing about (sending you only qualified people and you never having to worry about it).

-Wm