# Requirements/Credentials for Pastor in Baptist Denomination



## dane_g87

Apart from the qualifications in Scripture, what are the credentials required by churches in the Baptist denomination for one to be ordained and to serve as a pastor? What type of degree do they require? If an undergrad degree is sufficient, does it matter what the major is? Is there anything particular that is desired?


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## rbcbob

Dane, the "requirements" among Baptist churches are nearly as varied as those churches themselves.


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## Herald

Dane,

Let's start first with your church. Tell me a bit about it. Does it have a website? Does your pastor/elders teach the doctrines of grace? Is your church a Baptist church? I'm asking this for a reason in order to give you a better answer to your question in the OP.


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## KMK

Herald said:


> Dane,
> 
> Let's start first with your church. Tell me a bit about it. Does it have a website? Does your pastor/elders teach the doctrines of grace? Is your church a Baptist church? I'm asking this for a reason in order to give you a better answer to your question in the OP.


 
Your church doesn't even show up on Google! Do you guys advertise?


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## Ivan

From what information I can gather you appear to be a member of a Southern Baptist church. As noted, Baptist churches can be very different in what they required, including Southern Baptist. However, I think most Southern Baptist churches today are looking for a man who has at least some sort of Masters level education. That's not always the case but I think it's true of the majority. 

At Maranatha church, the pastors that they had in the past were mostly uneducated in theology and ministry. The church is still bearing the scars from that experience. I'm not saying if these men were biblical scholars they would have been better men, but I believe they would have made better decisions and could have better led the church. 

I'm the first Pastor they have had who has a seminary degree and who seeks to continue to learn and to share with the church what I have learned. Whether from personal reading and self education or formal seminary classes/seminars, I believe the man of God will continue to grow, spiritually and academically. When we stop learning and growing, we die.


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## toddpedlar

Dane -

As Bill suggested, what affiliation does your church have, or is it an independent baptist church of some kind? There isn't any single "baptist denomination", at any rate - I know the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches would have a different set of standards than the Southern Baptists would, and independent baptist churches are probably all over the map.

Perhaps what's best is that you ask your pastor what education he has? Probably therein lies the answer to your question - or at least he could answer your general question for you as far as he understands it. 

Todd


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## baron

As others have said every Baptist church is diffrent. I know pastors with no education except their own learning and what they were taught in their church. I have been to ordination's that the candidate should not of passed but did. I have been to ordination's where it was pastors and deacons from invited churches and other's when it was just the church members only. 

I know more pastors are pushing for those interested in the ministry to get some formal education. But Baptist are Baptist, they all do their own thing and have no hierarchy to object to.


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