Do missionaries really need to go
to seminary?
by Rob Howell
One of
the most important decisions a prospective missionary will make
is whether or not to attend seminary. It is a decision that will
have a significant impact on your future ministry.
When I ask a prospective missionary if he plans to attend seminary,
I generally hear one of three responses. The first response goes
something like this: "I was missions major in Bible college, therefore
I am adequately prepared to be a missionary. I do not need to go
to seminary." While the practical training of a missions major is
certainly beneficial, I do not believe it is sufficient to provide
the depth of biblical knowledge necessary to effectively carry out
the task of the missionary. The missionary mandate was given by
our Lord, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am
with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20 NASB).
The task of the missionary is not simply "soul-winning." God has
commanded us to establish indigenous local assemblies of mature
believers, which is what we commonly call church-planting. This
requires both evangelism of the lost and training of national pastors.
The missionary must be thoroughly grounded in the Scriptures to
accomplish this task. The value, then, of a seminary education for
the missionary is that a seminary education will equip you with
a solid foundation of biblical knowledge to plant churches.
The second response goes something like this: "The academic rigor
of seminary will stifle my enthusiasm for missions." Let me tell
you first-hand that this is absolutely not true! A diligent study
of the Scripture fuels the passion for missions--it does not quench
it. The more I learn of God in the Scripture, the greater my passion
becomes to inform the lost of His greatness.
The final response goes something like this: "I only have so much
time in this life. I don't want to spend three or four years in
seminary." While it is true that we must be faithful stewards of
the time God has given us, that does not mean we should go to the
mission field immediately at the expense of being properly trained
to handle accurately the word of truth. No doubt about it, the task
of missions is urgent, but how much good can we expect to do for
God if we do not take the time to prepare properly for the task
he sends us to do? It is important for soldiers to be well-trained
for battle. Untrained soldiers are not fit for combat. Since our
battle is for the souls of men, is it not that much more important
for the soldiers of Christ to prepare carefully and fully for this
eternally important task?
Let's face it, making the decision to commit to four years of seminary
is no easy decision! It is a decision that must be made with much
prayer and wise counsel. My prayer is that you will not write seminary
off as unimportant or unnecessary, but that you will come to see
it as vitally important and absolutely necessary in accomplishing
the Great Commission for God's glory!
Rob Howell is a graduate of Detroit
Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his family are serving
the Lord in Tanzania, East Africa. You can reach Rob at rhowell@africaonline.co.tz