What Seminary 'Produces' the Best Preachers?

What Seminary "Produces" the best Preachers?

  • Total voters
    78
Status
Not open for further replies.
Romans922

Romans922

Puritan Board Professor
Given the fact that God gifts His People the way He so desires, and it is the seminary who teaches and guides how and what a person will preach, which seminary (to the best of your knowledge) best prepares and 'produces' (if I could use that term) the best preachers?

Remember,
I am not saying which one you went to or which is the best BAPTIST or PRESBYTERIAN seminary.
 
Last edited:
Sorry, I knew I was going to forget some seminaries. I was having too much fun putting in "Talbot" and such.
 
I voted for SBTS. How could I not?

You had New Orleans, but not Southwestern. At one time I would have said Southwestern 'produced' the best preachers in the SBC, but I'd give the nod to Southern now.
 
I voted for WTS-PA only because I know more men who went there. And most of them were good preachers.
 
KMK said:
One of my favorite preachers, John Weaver, went to BJU.
Click to expand...

Brother, an interesting story.

I invited brother. Weaver to preach at our PCA church in GA a few years ago. I invited one of his former (BJU) profs, who was at that time teaching at Temple Baptist. The prof told me when I stopped by his office to invite him (I had taken a few classes from him myself) that he had taught 10,000 students over the years! He said that no one he had ever taught, or even heard of, knew the scriptures as well as Pastor Weaver!

If you have ever heard brother. Weaver preach, you know what he meant.
 
Ivan said:
greenbaggins said:
Where's Mid-America?
Click to expand...

Mid-America Reformed? It's there.

Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. You don't want it there.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure this is in Memphis across from Bellevue. Am I wrong?

I keep hoping there are closet Calvinists there in case I ever want to take some classes from the evil Baptists one day. I would be hoping past hope then, wouldn't I? Or would I?
 
I think WSC has helped equip some great preachers. I can think of many off the top of my head. However, I bet there are probably 5 people in the whole country who are qualified to answer this question. And, I'm not one.
 
I don't think Seminaries make/produce preachers. And given the artificial setting in which they attempt to teach homiletics in the classroom setting, I'm not convinced that they are able to prepare students for the pulpit ministry from the standpoint of homiletical studies.

This is not an argument against seminaries, nor should it be construed that I don't like or support them. On the contrary, I think that many of them do a great job of giving men a theological education. I have many delightful memories, and learned many invaluable lessons that I would not have learned otherwise. But I do not think they produce preachers.

I guess I think too much like D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in this respect...
What about preaching as such, the act of preaching of which I have spoken? There is only one thing to say about this; it cannot be taught. That is impossible. Preachers are born, not made. This is an absolute. You will never teach a man to be a preacher if he is not already one. All your books such as The A.B.C. of Preaching, or Preaching Made Easy should be thrown in to the fire as soon as possible. But if a man is a born preacher you can help him a little—but not much. He can perhaps be improved a little here and there. Preaching and Preachers, p. 119.
Click to expand...

Now, unlike Lloyd-Jones, I do think that "a born preacher" can improve greatly, especially as he grows and matures, but I do not believe that seminaries produce good preachers.

DTK
 
This is why I said, "Produces".

DTK said:
I don't think Seminaries make/produce preachers. And given the artificial setting in which they attempt to teach homiletics in the classroom setting, I'm not convinced that they are able to prepare students for the pulpit ministry from the standpoint of homiletical studies.

This is not an argument against seminaries, nor should it be construed that I don't like or support them. On the contrary, I think that many of them do a great job of giving men a theological education. I have many delightful memories, and learned many invaluable lessons that I would not have learned otherwise. But I do not think they produce preachers.

I guess I think too much like D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in this respect...
What about preaching as such, the act of preaching of which I have spoken? There is only one thing to say about this; it cannot be taught. That is impossible. Preachers are born, not made. This is an absolute. You will never teach a man to be a preacher if he is not already one. All your books such as The A.B.C. of Preaching, or Preaching Made Easy should be thrown in to the fire as soon as possible. But if a man is a born preacher you can help him a little—but not much. He can perhaps be improved a little here and there. Preaching and Preachers, p. 119.
Click to expand...
Now, unlike Lloyd-Jones, I do think that "a born preacher" can improve greatly, especially as he grows and matures, but I do not believe that seminaries produce good preachers.

DTK
Click to expand...
 
:think: I'm having such a hard time trying to figure out what is sarcasm and what is not on this thread...

I like the :) in "Other [Roman Catholic, Mormon, etc. :)]"
 
Zenas said:
Ivan said:
greenbaggins said:
Where's Mid-America?
Click to expand...

Mid-America Reformed? It's there.

Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. You don't want it there.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure this is in Memphis across from Bellevue. Am I wrong?

I keep hoping there are closet Calvinists there in case I ever want to take some classes from the evil Baptists one day. I would be hoping past hope then, wouldn't I? Or would I?
Click to expand...

Yes, the one by Bellevue. I don't know of any Calvinist there, although Tom Nettles once taught there. The impression I get is that they are anti-Calvinist and very pro Dispensational.
 
To answer that question you'd need to have heard several (maybe 10) graduates from each seminary preach, to make sure it wasn't a fluke, and I think you'd be wise to check that they were of the persuasion that the seminary had assisted. And in order for your answer to be meaningful to anyone else, you would have to agree on a definition of good preaching. And all of that is only worthwhile if you are willing to say that seminary makes/produces good preachers; but I doubt that you could go further than saying that a given seminary provides a good setting for a man to refine the speaking gift God has given him.
 
Well, if the professors (which are all preachers) are any indication, I would say my own seminary :cool: - Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Dr's. Pipa, Curto, Carrick, Dyer, Shaw & Co. are top tier.
 
I would have to agree with DTK. Some people can obtain a lot of knowledge but are not any good at preaching, they are very stiff and wooden and the listeners could honestly care less what he has to say because he cannot convey the message. Some people just like to beat people over the head with what they know. Knowledge of facts does not make one a good preacher, you either have the talent or you do not.

Pastor means shepherd and I have know many who could not fight their way out of a paper bag, theologically, but care for people and would help anyone giving them the shirt off their back. (practically, people are more interested in how much you care and how well you can help them with their problems, granted a good education helps with this) I have know few (personally) who have the delicate balance of knowledge and being able to convey that knowledge in a practical and effective manner.

D. James Kennedy took acting and speech lessons to help with his preaching. If one is "called to preach" (even though that term never appears in the bible) should not they also try to do a good job at it and learn to be a good public speaker since that is what most of their job entails?

Of all the reformed pastors I have talked to in the past two years only one had "knowledge" and he was an arrogant hateful SOB. The others were not that adept at theology but were more "pastoral" they got into the ministry to help people and that is what they are good at.
 
"Of all the reformed pastors I have talked to in the past two years only one had "knowledge" and he was an arrogant hateful SOB."

If you hadn't made it clear he was a pastor I was gonna ask that you stop talking about me. :rant:


:p
 
I voted "other" simply because I don't know that good preachers can be "produced" out of a seminary. A good seminary can do a great job educating a man in the Word of God, and as far as I know, most if not all of these listed do. However, when it comes to being a good preacher, it is a combination of the God's gifting, the man's humility and desire to learn from the Spirit of God Who is to be our Teacher, and his willingness to learn from the example of others. Over the years, I've seen godly men come from very humble beginnings, trained in the most unlikely places, and God has used them.

There is nothing wrong with seminary training, and it is one of the best ways to educate a man and ensure he learns all the things he needs to know to study and preach the Word of God, but it is not the seminary that makes the man. In my humble opinion, too many preachers come out of seminaries with a cloak of pride, and it sometimes takes years of ministering to people for that cloak to come off.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

B
  • Locked
what is the best seminary for learning the biblical languages?
Replies
21
Views
15K
Grimmson
Grimmson
goretorade
  • Locked
Best Seminary?
2 3
Replies
83
Views
58K
3John2
3
B
  • Locked
  • Poll
Best Seminary?
2 3
Replies
66
Views
20K
Calvinist Cowboy
Calvinist Cowboy
Bern
  • Locked
Best English Seminary
Replies
1
Views
2K
rbcbob
rbcbob
arapahoepark
  • Locked
Best/Cheap Online Seminary?
Replies
10
Views
24K
N. Eshelman
N. Eshelman
Back
Top