Polanus1561
Puritan Board Junior
Brother I hear you but how you approach this situation differs whether you are Presbyterian or Baptist. The former has lesser leeway to not go to seminary. The latter has more freedom as a local church.While I am not a seminarian, so take what I am about to say in that light; I think you really just need to weigh your options. The best way to do this is let the Bible direct your path. And do so with patience. This is how I would go about it.
1. Do you think that a pastor should go to seminary to be the best pastor they can be?
2. If you were to be a pastor, would you want to be the best pastor you could be?
3. Do you feel called to be a pastor, or simply in ministry?
Then I would ask myself the questions:
1. Do I have the financial resources to go to seminary?
2. Do I have the resources but just think its expensive?
3. Or am I simply not financially able?
Then I would look at the Bible and ask these questions:
1. If I am financially able, what does the Bible say we should reserve in fulfilling his commission? Anything?
2. If I am not financially able, what does the Bible say about loans? Are they ever painted in a good light?
Then, depending on those answers, I would consider the following?
1. Though I may desire to be a pastor currently, am I called to be one evidenced by Gods provision to be one? That is if you think pastors should go to seminary.
2. Or, do I desire to simply be useful to the kingdom in whatever area God directs me, evidenced by his provision to facilitate my placement in that position?
This reminds me of John Piper once speaking on egalitarianism; saying how you could lay 1000 Christian ministries before some women, but they will instead trouble over the one they cannot doctrinally facilitate.
Look within your soul, and ask yourself what do you think the people of God deserve? Who would you want to protect your wife if you had to take a long journey? A person who watched Youtube videos on Kung-Fu, or a person who travelled to Asia and learned personally from the Masters themselves?
If God has called you to this office, the gates of Hell will not be able to stop his provision from landing in your lap. You do not need to do what the Bible warns us against, and become a slave to the debtor; instead blessed are all those who wait upon Him.
Come to God with the attitude that you are willing to serve him anywhere, doing anything. And if he wants to make you a minister no power in the world can stop him, no lack or attainment of degree can refrain him, nor could we stop his hand if he so decides.
Keep doing what you are doing, be faithful; and watch him open opportunities and doors you now deem impossible. Dont rush it. There are many a seminarian up to their gills in student loans that thought they had to be in the pulpit by 25. God didnt activate Moses until he was 80, and he was only 1 of 2 out of how many Old Testament saints, to converse with our Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration. All things work to our good and His glory if we are his. And I highly doubt God will leave a man to a life of dormancy; who desires with all his heart to serve him faithfully.
By the way, might want to check out the website Biblingo for those languages. Also, I see you are 1689. If you can get a church recommendation, RBS (Reformed Baptist Seminary) is $80 per credit. That means if you can save $100 a month, you can go to seminary online; one course at a time. Why rush? Being a Pastor is the ministry position with the greatest responsibility. Train accordingly.