As a Minister, I often get asked, mostly by haughty sanctimonious Christians (modern day Pharisees) what Seminary I went to and/or what my qualifications are. Most often this is just for some kind of misplaced competition to decide my legitimacy.
For the record, my parents never really pushed any kind of religious education for me and were not overly religious people, not attending church, etc.. I did attend some church and some sunday school education at a Baptist church with a religious Aunt of mine. I had some early personal experiences with the paranormal which pushed me into a long interest in such things, culminating into heavy study and involvement into Witchcraft and, eventually Satanism during my college years. There I met a brother Gary who God put in place to turn me around. He argued the scriptures with me and also t get me to go to church with him until I finally caved in and went. I was, and am lucky to still have him as a brother to rely on to this day. There, in a Fundamentalist church, I had my conversion. Heard the words and calling of God like thunder (literally). From there my education and interest continued until I felt called into the ministry in 1996. I was ordained and started right away!
“God does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called.”
We can see that in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29. “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.”
Clearly, I am part to that “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise”..
I do take some issue that all ministers and pastors must go to Seminary in order to preach/teach and minister. Although I absolutely believe that one must learn and be a student of Jesus’ teachings, more often than not, I believe those places are reserved for teaching doctrine and denomination. Both of those can, I believe be detrimental toward the real mission of spreading the Gospel, and inhibitive of the Holy Spirit whom the Bible says is the actual teacher (John 14:26). Although some would argue, we need to make sure that one’s doctrine or denomination is not overriding the word of God or his spirit directing you.
At any rate, it’s been a rolercoaster ride for sure, being ordained, being handed a church, running a homeless ministry and then moving across the continent, all the while being a bivocational minister. What I mean by that is being a minister has never been my sole employment – no I’m not a rich televangelist! I have always relied on an additional day job (I’m also a computer systems engineer) to fund both my family and my ministry. My Biblical education has come from self studies, those with my peers and, like the title says, years of beating the streets by foot meeting my fellow man where they were with the Gospel. And now, after all that and some baptisms, communions, weddings and funerals, I am here.