How To Choose The Seminary That's Right For You

When I decided to go to seminary a few years ago, I did not know which seminary I should have attended. There was no guide on how to look for seminary at that time. Sure, there were articles on how to look for a college. Or I could put into a search engine Which Seminary is the Best for X? Then there would be a list of Seminaries, maybe with a brief reason as to why these Seminaries were the best. Even when I went onto a seminary website, it was difficult to determine if that seminary was right for me through the obvious marketing on the website. It seemed like trying to choose the right drink from a vending machine, but I had no idea what they tasted like.
Through the challenge of looking for a seminary, I finally landed on a seminary that was right for me. I also learned how to look for a seminary. That’s where this article comes in. This article aims to guide prospective seminary students to find the right seminary.

Tradition

The first thing you should look for when considering seminaries is what Christian tradition (or denomination) you would like to receive your education from. This may be easy for some people since they are already part of a tradition or denomination. Others might not know where they land theologically. Regardless if you know what tradition/denomination you may be a part of, I would strongly suggest looking for a seminary with some sort of robust confession. (This could be an extensive statement of faith.)[1]

A seminary that lacks a robust confession may lack a clear understanding of where they stand theologically. This can be very confusing for students who want to learn more about where they land theologically once they finish their education. Seminary is meant to be accumulative, and if your education does not build upon itself, it can make students feel like they have lacked theological education. For example, I know of someone who went through an entire seminary career, but because they went somewhere that did not have a robust confession, they felt inadequate even to understand what they believed in. 

Location

Location matters. Some seminaries will try to rope students into their seminary by saying that the institution's location simply does not matter in the long run. Do not fall for that type of marketing.

Instead, consider what is best for you and for your family.

You may be reading this article in a place where theological education is hard to come by, so coming to a seminary in the United States is your only option. I know of students who moved from several counties because they felt like the education they would receive in the States could benefit their home church upon coming back.

Other people reading this article may feel like the options are bountiful, and there may not be a reason to leave their country (or possibly even their state!) because there is a good seminary where they are at. Ask yourself, sincerely, if you were to spend the next three to five years receiving a theological education upon moving, would it be worth it? If you think the education is not worth it, consider another seminary.

Before I finish talking about location, I will briefly mention online education. A quick search online will have conflicting results as to which module is better than the others. You must seriously consider what is best for you and your family, just like it considering location. There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to the mode one receives their seminary education.

Cost

As discussed in a previous article, prospective students should consider the cost. Most seminaries will offer their students scholarships. Some denominations will offer scholarships if you are already affiliated with a certain denomination. Even with these costs, you should consider the cost of living for the area you are moving you.

Some seminaries do provide affordable student housing, while others do not. Can you afford to live in the city where the seminary is located? If money gets tight one year, could you reasonably afford seminary even with the scholarships provided?

I must mention, as other articles and books have often talked about, is how the Lord will provide. There have been times, even in my own seminary experience where I thought to myself, “I don’t know how I will get through this!” Nevertheless, the Lord was faithful to take care of me in these times. What I am suggesting, however, in this article is a wise look at finances. If it would be very unreasonable to go to seminary because of your current financial position, it may be worth considering seminary for another time.

Accreditation

Once you begin looking at seminaries, you should look at whether the seminary is accredited and how they are accredited. Like other institutions of education, accreditation matters for what you are trying to do with your future. It should be noted that, in most instances, going to a non-accredited or partly accredited seminary can impact your future. For example, you cannot because a military Chaplain if you lack a theology degree from a non-accredited seminary.

How a seminary is accredited can affect getting into certain degree programs for post graduate education. The standard accreditation for United States seminaries is to have a regional accreditation alongside accreditation from the Association of Theological School. In most instances, if the seminary you went to lacked these accreditations then the chances of getting into post graduate education would be difficult or impossible.

Academic Standards

When you go to Seminary, you will want to be challenged while learning. Simultaneously, you are going to want to be practically equipped for the ministry you are going into. A great seminary will do both. Simply going on their website can indicate if they aim for both, one or the other. However, checking the website will not fully indicate where they land when it comes to academic standards. If the seminary provides some free classes you can listen to online, listen to a few of the classes and judge the standards for yourself.  

Faculty

Every seminary should have a faculty page. Go to the faculty page and figure out how the professors are known and what works have they done. It may surprise you to find out that some of the seminaries you are looking at may even have a guy you like reading! Be warned though, sometimes seminaries will advertise that they have a faculty member that really only teaches on rare occasions.

Call and Visit

Once you have narrowed your selection of seminaries to around two to five, the next step should be a call and a visit. When calling the seminaries, ask whatever questions you may have. Here are a few examples:

• Ask for clarifications.

• Ask for scholarship opportunities.

• Ask for work opportunities in the area.

• Ask for what churches are in the area.           

If possible, you should consider visiting the seminary. It is worth mentioning that some seminaries even offer a stipend for visiting their campus.

When visiting the seminary, here are some things you should consider: How does the student body feel? Do you feel like this is a place where students get along? How are the facilities? After all, you will spend the next three to five years at this institution. Now that you have seen the seminaries’ location, how do you feel about the seminaries’ location?

Conclusion

Finding a seminary can take some time, but my hope is that this article can help begin leading you in the right direction. Since Solas is a Reformed platform, I would like to list a few reformed seminaries worth considering to get you started:

·      Reformed Theological Seminary (https://rts.edu/)

·      Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary (https://prts.edu/)

·      Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary (https://cbtseminary.org/)

·      Westminster California (https://www.wscal.edu/)

·      Westminster Theological Seminary (https://www.wts.edu/)  

[1] When talking about a robust confession, I am talking about a document that extensively explains theological positions. For examples of this, you may look at the Augsburg Confession (Lutheran), the 39 Articles (Anglican), Westminster Confession of Faith (Presbyterian), or the 2nd London Baptist Confession (Reformed Baptist).