Sunday, October 23, 2005 AD
Theological Education
Lutheran Angles
What follows is not a direct answer to John's questions, but is nevertheless pertinent, I believe.
I am utterly convinced that, ultimately, the heartbeat of any church is its seminaries. Show us the seminary and I will show you the kind of church you will have in two decades' time. It requires little knowledge of the continental scene, for example, to realise that the demise of the once-confessional Lutheran state churches has followed in the wake of the complete liberalisation of their seminaries. Likewise, the spread of the 'Church Growth' movement from the '60s has had a dramatic effect on the landscape of the Christian Church, including the ELCE, and again the seminaries have been a point of entry for the movement within the various church bodies.
The size of the ELCE appears to undermine my conviction slightly in that the majority of the currently active pastors were not trained by the ELCE. However, I believe this too is part of the same, larger picture. Much of what will happen in Lutheran congregations (and beyond them) over the following years will be determined by the kind of training that takes place at Westfield. The seminary is fortunate to have a couple of native students at the moment, who will hopefully be able to receive calls within the ELCE. Hopefully others will be sent from the congregations from time to time. The preparation that they receive for congregational life will, to a significant extent, shape the ways in which (and whether) the Lutheran faith is to be known in the UK.
This is not to say that the onus should be solely, or even primarily, on pastors and those who train them. The church is not in any way coterminous with its clergy. However, pastors are the shepherds and the diet they feed the sheep makes a huge difference to congregational life. And all this begins at seminary.
This, of course, is a theoretical observation, but it may nevertheless be of great importance. The future of the ELCE is bound up to a significant degree with the future of Westfield House. Things there seem to look immeasurably brighter than they did when I joined the ELCE 10 years ago, and this should be a source of godly optimism.
What follows is not a direct answer to John's questions, but is nevertheless pertinent, I believe.
I am utterly convinced that, ultimately, the heartbeat of any church is its seminaries. Show us the seminary and I will show you the kind of church you will have in two decades' time. It requires little knowledge of the continental scene, for example, to realise that the demise of the once-confessional Lutheran state churches has followed in the wake of the complete liberalisation of their seminaries. Likewise, the spread of the 'Church Growth' movement from the '60s has had a dramatic effect on the landscape of the Christian Church, including the ELCE, and again the seminaries have been a point of entry for the movement within the various church bodies.
The size of the ELCE appears to undermine my conviction slightly in that the majority of the currently active pastors were not trained by the ELCE. However, I believe this too is part of the same, larger picture. Much of what will happen in Lutheran congregations (and beyond them) over the following years will be determined by the kind of training that takes place at Westfield. The seminary is fortunate to have a couple of native students at the moment, who will hopefully be able to receive calls within the ELCE. Hopefully others will be sent from the congregations from time to time. The preparation that they receive for congregational life will, to a significant extent, shape the ways in which (and whether) the Lutheran faith is to be known in the UK.
This is not to say that the onus should be solely, or even primarily, on pastors and those who train them. The church is not in any way coterminous with its clergy. However, pastors are the shepherds and the diet they feed the sheep makes a huge difference to congregational life. And all this begins at seminary.
This, of course, is a theoretical observation, but it may nevertheless be of great importance. The future of the ELCE is bound up to a significant degree with the future of Westfield House. Things there seem to look immeasurably brighter than they did when I joined the ELCE 10 years ago, and this should be a source of godly optimism.
Comments:
I would say the heart of the church is the lay-leaders within the congregant church membership.
The seminaries and pastors are the head and the conscience.
Problems occur when the heart stops listening to the conscience.
But does this distinction matter in the long run? When it takes all working together to remain on track?
BTW:
A very topical discussion that applies not just to you folks in England, but applies equally to us Lutherans here in the U.S.
(For reference, I am LCMS)
Some one asked me recently; "what can the church do for me?" Seemed kind of a backward question at first, untill I thought abou it.
What exactly can the church do for us?
This question... interestingly... is in line with your previous post titled "What is the ELCE for?"
Questions I need to prepare to answer when my children get old enough to start asking.
The seminaries and pastors are the head and the conscience.
Problems occur when the heart stops listening to the conscience.
But does this distinction matter in the long run? When it takes all working together to remain on track?
BTW:
A very topical discussion that applies not just to you folks in England, but applies equally to us Lutherans here in the U.S.
(For reference, I am LCMS)
Some one asked me recently; "what can the church do for me?" Seemed kind of a backward question at first, untill I thought abou it.
What exactly can the church do for us?
This question... interestingly... is in line with your previous post titled "What is the ELCE for?"
Questions I need to prepare to answer when my children get old enough to start asking.
I'm glad to see that these issues are being discussed, and within a small Lutheran church body like the ELCE these small discussions can end up making some significant differences.
The post by Tapani suggests that the seminary plays a critical role in the future of the church, and the previous comment would suggest that it is the lay leaders, the pastors and the seminaries all working together. How can you pick one option over the other?
Maybe a third alternative would be to suggest that a proper understanding of catechesis is crucial. Training a person for a job is one thing; teaching the faith is a totally different matter. It can't be rushed, whether in the seminaries, the congregations or in the homes. Too much is at stake. The stuff you are dealing with is too precious. The ramifications are too eternal.
The ELCE grew mainly when it was still a socially acceptable time to go to church. Many people were still looking for churches to attend. The name Lutheran was an unknown, but the social activities and the congregation's friendliness made up for that. It would not be unreasonable for people to sit through a dozen evening sessions and to sign up as a member. All this can happen without realising the major difference to the Lutheran Church--that its teachings are completely centred around the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It takes us our whole lives to realise the ramifications of the Gospel. I think we should take it a little bit more slowly when we are relating it to other people for the very first time.
The post by Tapani suggests that the seminary plays a critical role in the future of the church, and the previous comment would suggest that it is the lay leaders, the pastors and the seminaries all working together. How can you pick one option over the other?
Maybe a third alternative would be to suggest that a proper understanding of catechesis is crucial. Training a person for a job is one thing; teaching the faith is a totally different matter. It can't be rushed, whether in the seminaries, the congregations or in the homes. Too much is at stake. The stuff you are dealing with is too precious. The ramifications are too eternal.
The ELCE grew mainly when it was still a socially acceptable time to go to church. Many people were still looking for churches to attend. The name Lutheran was an unknown, but the social activities and the congregation's friendliness made up for that. It would not be unreasonable for people to sit through a dozen evening sessions and to sign up as a member. All this can happen without realising the major difference to the Lutheran Church--that its teachings are completely centred around the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It takes us our whole lives to realise the ramifications of the Gospel. I think we should take it a little bit more slowly when we are relating it to other people for the very first time.
hey, I just got a free $500.00 Gift Card. you can redeem yours at Abercrombie & Fitch All you have to do to get yours is Click Here to get a $500 free gift card for your backtoschool wardrobe
Post a Comment
