Should pastors be schooled?

I have a question for everyone. I have going back and forth on the matter of Bible college and want people's opinion. I have a desire to teach/preach, but I don't have a degree in anything. I hear from a lot of different people that you have to have a degree in order to start a church or preach in other churches. While I see some validity in maybe gaining some extra knowledge through school... is school really necessary. Out of the 12 Disciples, Paul was the only "learned" one, and we know where that got him before he was converted. I just listened to Zac Poonen's message: GOD'S DWELLING PLACE: THE FIRST FLOOR, and I must say that I agree with everything he is saying. School isn't necessary when it comes to preaching the Word of God. Spending time in the Word, studying it daily on one's own time (outside of school) and prayer should be good enough, especially if the person is a willing vessel to God. Right? I mean, look how many unschooled people Christ used throughout Scripture.

Thoughts?

schools are good if they are good schools :-) , but but i don't believe they are necessary, lets say you spend 3-4 years in a school, if you get on your knees that same amount of time, and in the word, whit the holy spirit as your teacher.... i believe you will do just great. One of the problems today i believe many know what they was thought in school, but don't know him who they was thought about... hours and hours on your knees, hours hours in the book... get a burden for souls....

know God, know his word.... fire in your heart for winning souls.... there you have a recipe for a good preacher :-) you can go to any school in the world, you don't have that you still going to miss it
but i do also believe God can send you to a school to equip you for ministry, but the best way i believe you go find an older holy man of God, follow him, pray whit him,

just some thoughts....

Yes, that is the conclusion I'm coming to. I've been thinking, that maybe a little school would be good, but soooo many schools today don't really truly focus on what matters Scripturally... at least the several dozen schools I've looked into. I think spending time on one's face in earnest prayer, reading Scripture, and learning from a Godly generationally older gentleman would suit me well.

:-(

Any who says Bible College is absolutely necessary has not read the Bible.

It seems to me you already know this.

What are you asking?

I've also looked in the "Christian Classified's just to see what churches are searching for, and they pretty much all want a pastor with a Bachelor's or Master's degree.

tjservant wrote:
Any who says Bible College is absolutely necessary has not read the Bible.

It seems to me you already know this.

What are you asking?

I think I'm asking what the majority of those on here think is necessary to preach the Word of God today in church. I see and hear so many pastors say proudly that they have a Bachelor's or Master's degree, so they "know what they are talking about." I've also seen churches so hung up on being schooled "because it looks good." Why must a church require a pastor to spend thousands and thousands of dollars to get schooled on something you can do for free?

"Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men, is an abomination in the sight of God." --Luke 16:15

Collegiate education is esteemed by the World (including Christendom) highly. Stay away from it as a rule of thumb.

Jordan

There's currently open enrollment at Moses' Bush University -classes administered by the Holy Spirit and taught by the Word. Practical studies in service, healing and feeding the hungry. Advanced courses in prayer, and intercession and weeping between the porch and the altar.

Brother Andrew and Leonard Ravenhill (graduate of Bush University) are two of my favorite preachers who never finished college.

William Carey made shoes, DL moody sold them. Mary Slessor worked in a mill and read the bible as she did her work all day... some of the greatest men and women of God never had a university education.

Now unfortunately there are very many churches and denominations today that require a college degree to lead a congregation as a pastor -but that doesn't mean that you can't be a preacher on the streets, or in prisons, or among the homeless... or even to start your own church.

iansmith wrote:
There's currently open enrollment at Moses' Bush University -classes administered by the Holy Spirit and taught by the Word. Practical studies in service, healing and feeding the hungry. Advanced courses in prayer, and intercession and weeping between the porch and the altar.

Brother Andrew and Leonard Ravenhill (graduate of Bush University) are two of my favorite preachers who never finished college.

William Carey made shoes, DL moody sold them. Mary Slessor worked in a mill and read the bible as she did her work all day... some of the greatest men and women of God never had a university education.

Now unfortunately there are very many churches and denominations today that require a college degree to lead a congregation as a pastor -but that doesn't mean that you can't be a preacher on the streets, or in prisons, or among the homeless... or even to start your own church.

"Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men, is an abomination in the sight of God." --Luke 16:15

Collegiate education is esteemed by the World (including Christendom) highly. Stay away from it as a rule of thumb.

Jordan

Thank you, both. I appreciate your perspectives on the matter... and also the Scriptural reference. :-D

Now that I said that, I should also say that I have a college education and it was one of the best points in my life for learning about God.

For the ones without college education we could quite easily find just as many great men of God that have college degrees.

My point is to say that it is not necessary, not that it is unwise -I think that Jordan might have taken it to the extreme.

For some reason I could not find the school for which you mentioned...

Ben, it's an allegory -Leonard Ravenhill used to answer 'Bush University' when asked his alma mater -he did however attend Cliff College (Samuel Chadwick's school) but never graduated.

He would then say that the founder of 'Bush University' was Moses... he's talking about the experience tha Moses had when he saw God as the burning bush.

Leonard Ravenhill also lamented that christian colleges didn't teach classes on prayer, intercession or weeping.

Leonard Ravenhill also quipped that he had never attended 'cemetary *cough* I mean seminary'

Oh, yes... I recall that now... thank you iansmith. Ravenhill mentioned that a few times.

Well brothers, as I've read through this thread, I have seen a lot of various comments as to the necessity of "school". I guess I have to look at what Paul wrote to Timothy to shed some more "light" on this subject. Paul tells Timothy, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Now what does this word "study" really mean? Well, it comes from the Greek word spoudazo.
Spoudazo (spoo-dad'-zo)means to use speed, i.e. to make effort, be prompt or earnest.

But that isn't really how we interpret it in English, is it? We think about "study" like in school, right? Is that what Paul really meant when he told Timothy to "study"? If I translate II Timothy 2:15 direct from the Greek, it actually reads, "Be eager to present yourself approved to God, a workman unashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth."

So, do we really need to go to school to be a pastor? I don't know, but that's how I learned all this!!

well i know D.L Moody never went to bible school. As what i know he didn't go much in "regular" school either...but he won millions for Christ...

schools useful? yes...
necessary? no....

Brother Andrew and Leonard Ravenhill (graduate of Bush University) are two of my favorite preachers who never finished college.

Thank you all for taking some time to impart your thoughts and wisdom on my question. :-D

Schooling is not a requirement to be a pastor but it is beneficial.