The Missional Network

If you are interested in attending a seminary, I can very confidently say that The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville Kentucky is the Best seminary in the nation.  No seminary is perfect, but Southern is excellent.  I am attending Southern right now and I can definately vouch for it. 

While any of our 6 SBC seminaries is great, as a Midwestern Alumnist, I would disagree with you.  The advantages of Midwestern are several.  The location is in a much less "Baptist" area than many of the other SBC seminaries, allowing many more opportunities for service.  The school is large enough to have many options, but as the smallest SBC seminary also has the advantage of small class sizes and easy interaction with professors (I ate lunch with a professor, just to enjoy their company, at least twice every month while I was there).  Yesterday I had the pleasure of eating breakfast with Dr. Phil Roberts, the MBTS President, while he was in Michigan.  He pointed out the many ways that Midwestern is ideally suited for reaching those in non-Bible belt areas of the country.

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In the Father and On the Journey
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Kevin Finkenbinder
College Ministry Director
and Chruch Planter

Well, as a Southern student myself, I am biased. Where else can you take Chuck Lawless, Bruce Ware, Russ Moore, JD Payne, and others? These guys are leaders in their fields...nevertheless, all the SBC seminaries have something to offer. Heck, I almost went to NOBTS...

However, Southern has been, is, and will be the "flagship" among the SBC seminaries. Let's just agree to disagree (although Southern has my vote)

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"To God be the Glory"

I will gladly agree to disagree...after all you have the constitutional right to be wrong and let other people know about it.   :-)

Seriously though, the only reason that SBTS is the "flagship" is because it was first, not because it is biggest (SWBTS views with SEBTS for this distinction), nor because it is necessarily better in any way.  Face it; it only has the name because it is the oldest.  An argument saying this makes it better is like saying that Egypt is better than any country in the world because it has the longest continual history.

As to professors, I had some of the best.  Dr. Alan Tomlinson may be the world's foremost expert on Greek inscriptions on Synagogues.  His only drawback is that, despite repeated requests from many publishers and journals, he hates to publish because he would rather convey the information directly to students.  Dr. Mark Devine is well recognized for Historical Theology.  Dr. Phil Roberts is a widely recognized expert on interfaith evangelism.  Dr. Wilder, Dr. Harrison, Dr. McMullen and others all are outstanding in their respective fields.

Naturally, SBTS has more well known professors, as a larger school there are more professors and the school presents more exposure, but that doesn't make them better.  If the goal is to glow in the limelight of the well known, MBTS is probably not the place for you.  If the goal is to learn to be a godly and effective minister, I can not conceive of a better environment than MBTS.

(By the way for those who may be reading this, note that the rivalry between our SBC seminaries is friendly, but often intense.  The arguments generally rest on feelings and preferences rather than fact because NONE of the SBC Seminaries is academically or theologically deficient.  Our 6 seminaries are all institutions of which Southern Baptists can be proud!) 

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In the Father and On the Journey
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Kevin Finkenbinder
College Ministry Director
and Chruch Planter

Hi, everyone,

I myself am a Canadian Southern Baptist, and am currently attending seminary, Regent College in Vancouver, BC. I plan to pursue a PhD in systematic theology after I complete my MCS (Master of Christian Studies) program.

Regent College proudly states that most of its graduates pursue PhD studies at the world's leading universities in religion/theology, including Oxford, Harvard, Yale, Duke, Chicago, Cambridge, Edinburgh, London, Princeton Seminary, etc...

In fact, Regent annually invites the world's leading scholars from these institutions to teach courses for its Spring/Summer School. In particular, Regent has a longstanding association with Oxford; its founders happen to be Oxford graduates, and there are currently seven professors who earned their doctorates there.

As confident as I am of attending a leading university after I graduate, I have some reservations about Regent. It is evangelical in its theology, but certainly not fundamentalist as are many of the SBC seminaries. I consider myself a fundamentalist Christian.

 I would like to know, besides the SBC seminaries, which other seminaris or schools should be considered?

 And one more thing. Egypt does not have the world's longest continual history; China does. 

Thanks, everyone.  

 

 

 

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Brady,

    I'm delighted to hear that you are enjoying your time at Southern, and that you believe it to be a great school.  However, to say it is the "best" seminary in the nation makes me wonder:  Have you ever attended / been enrolled in any OTHER seminaries in the nation?  As an alumni of Southwestern, Golden Gate, having assisted at Midwestern and New Orleans and Golden Gate seminaries in leading DiscipleYouth workshops in J-term formats, and now finishing my doctoral work through Golden Gate, I've found each of these schools to be excellent.  A native Missourian, I know several of the Midwestern faculty and have seen how their influence in Missouri has grown and is very beneficial to the churches in that area.  In other words, I've found every one of these seminaries to be excellent.  In my own opinion, what is "best" for one might not be "best" for all.  When I first entered seminary, I did so in pursuing becoming the best Youth Minister I could be, and Southwestern's program and classes were head and shoulders better than any other seminary in the nation for such a pursuit.  Since that time many of the others have greatly improved in that area.  At that time if I were pursuing an instrumental music emphasis, Southern would have been the place to find the best program, while choral music and drama would have found Southwestern better.  Golden Gate has a greater focus on cross-cultural foci, and Midwestern provides a smaller class size and more intimate environment in personal attention from professors.  So, it might be wise to expand your exposure a little before declaring outright one seminary to be the "best" seminary in the nation. 

Mike Gilbert

 

 

  

 

www.biblical.edu

I think I'm the only NAMB-funded person never to have gone to an SBC seminary ... wohoo!  I just got back from a 2 week DMin course in China ... that was my classroom.  Where's yours? :)  www.bgu.edu

 

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For the City,
Sean

You absolutely have GOT to be kidding. This is inane, and the very idea of Christ's disciples discussing such a thing is, well, typical and indicative of why the SBC is cruising toward a crash. That it's being discussed on a MISSIONAL site is awkwardly funny, like something one would see on "The Office."

The six + 1 SBC seminaries are all different. They are in different locations, and they meet different needs. Southern is great. So is Southwestern (my alma mater), Midwestern, Canadian, Golden Gate (all 4 campuses), Southeastern, and New Orleans (where I teach). Of course someone attending Southern should think it's #1--if it were not, wouldn't he transfer? Of course a guy at MW thinks it's the place to meet lost people (even though there are far more in Canada, New Orleans, or San Francisco) because it's where he made friends and connections.

If you asked me where to go, take a wild, flying guess where I'd guide you. New Orleans? WRONG! I'd guide you to ask God. That's why there is no best. To even think that way is to deny the reality of Phil. 2:3-4 or the lessons Jesus taught His disciples when they argued for the best seat at the Big Table.

Come on guys, can we not agree that there's enough posturing and arrogant nonsense in te SBC? Can we get back to our mission and just make disciples best we know how?

100,000 blessings (really--blessings on YOU), Dr. Jack Allen (www.jackallen.org)

 

Dr. Jack,

I appreciate you grounding the discussion about which seminary is the best, yet I would offer a testimony of sort as a rebuttal. I was google searching top seminaries when this thread of the topic appeared in the top five of results. I believe that the Holy Spirit should lead in the choosing of the options, yet I found it quite helpful to hear from some voices who have attended the seminaries as to which options even exist. I would recommend that in your knowledge you would not forget that there are those who lack what you have given in experience. As a consequence of reading this discussion to the end, I joined this network and felt necessary to comment for the lost guys.

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jesus is enough.

If we could say any seminary is better, then everyone would want to go there.  God calls people of many different personalities, talents, spiritual gifts, and backgrounds.  Our SBC seminaries, as fine as they are, may not be best for every one of us.

 I struggled with the decision many years ago.  For several reasons, I chose Midwestern.

1)  Flexible schedule   2)  Location in an area with no overabundance of Baptist work   3) Opportunities for service for those of us with little experience

 Years later when I returned to work toward a doctorate, I had no intention of returning to the same place.  But as I researched the seminaries again,

I discovered that for me, Midwestern was the most logical place.  But it's not for everyone.  I'm a teacher in a program for Golden Gate.  Needs vary, and people are different.  As one has already responded, the best advice ultimately has to come from the leading of the Holy Spirit.  If we want to know, we can know. 

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Hermano Jose, the Bivo Joe