No. What matters is to what end a person is called or in other words, to what
form of ministry. Historically, the church has valued an educated clergy and we
believe the contemporary church carries that same value today. In the pastoral
epistles, one of the distinguishing marks of the overseer or bishop and
presbyter, with which bishop is sometimes used interchangeably in the New
Testament, is the ability to teach. Academic training is part of the way we
fulfill this unique characteristic. This is where the role of education seems to
be an appropriate requirement, among others, for this particular office in the
church. To "be able to teach" implies educational preparation of some kind,
which we offer through seminary training. I Timothy 3 lists other
characteristics of spiritual maturity for this role. Also, I Timothy 5 includes
preaching and teaching as responsibilities for the elder which requires a
discerning mind as well as a discerning heart in order to be done responsibly.
--- (Edited on 5/ 5/2006 10:46 am [GMT-0500] by daniellen) ---
--- (Edited on 8/31/2007 1:33 pm [GMT-0500] by daniellen) ---
