A recent research project I did for my father illustrated something I have been saying for years. The church has been digging its own grave for about the last century. It has done this in several ways, but the way I am referring to in this instance is the continued reliance on cemeteries to turn out men of God. By cemeteries, I mean the vast majority of modern seminaries. They are dead and have been dead for a very long time. How can we expect dead seminaries to produce on fire men of God? Instead, they produce what they are: whitened sepulcher’s full of dead men’s bones.
Such a statement may seem incredibly bold and broad but after you see what I have gleaned, I think you will understand. This is not me picking on isolated instances. This is a whole denomination’s seminary list that I examined for my father. I’ve selected some of the worst statements and problems for this article, but I could do this for somewhere between 85-95% of seminaries in the United States and produce an article that is much the same as this one. The fact that I need to write it is frankly both sad and terrifying.
A common theme across the majority of the seminaries I reviewed was the lack of a doctrinal statement. I recently wrote about this issue plaguing churches but most churches at least have a shell of a doctrinal statement. To my knowledge from searching the websites of these seminaries, doctrinal statements are either absent, or students are not required to sign on to it. Further, many of these seminaries are affiliated with numerous denominations, including denominations that add to salvation, such as the Church of Christ. These ecumenical affiliations probably explain the lack of doctrinal statements.
Another unifying theme running through these seminaries is a commitment to environmentalism and social justice. The Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology recently hosted a webinar entitled “Covid19 and Climate Change”. Northern Baptist Theological Seminary’s MDiv requirements include a class called “Race, Reconciliation, and Reparations.” The Dean of Morehouse School of Religion wrote in his bio
Our message is clear; we believe that it is our duty to define global economic justice as the ethical imperative for the 21st century.We define economic justice as the Word of Reconciliation. By that, we mean wealth and income equality. Wealth and income equality includes unbiased immigration, mass incarceration and economic reparations policies. We see these as related and necessary changes in order for people of African descent to achieve the Word of Reconciliation
Clearly this is in opposition to what the Scripture teaches. While we certainly should help those within the church who are in need, there is no teaching in Scripture that makes economic equality equivalent to our reconciliation to God. This is blatant heresy and it is being taught at a seminary.
Another common theme was a dedication to the LGBTQIA+ mafia. Colchester Rochester Crozer Divinity School offers “Women and Gender” emphasis for its MDiv. Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico has a professor specifically assigned to teach “feminist theology”. Shaw University Divinity School’s Master’s in Christian Education requires a class entitled “Gender, Women and Culture” which heavily emphasizes the LGBTQIA+ mafia agenda. Only one of the seminaries bans homosexual conduct. One forces students to endorse it. At Central Baptist Theological Seminary students are required to agree with the following statement: “I will personally and publicly support my colleagues who experience discrimination on the basis of gender, gender identity, race, age, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, physical impairment, or disability.” Students are required to support homosexuals and transgenders against any conservative who might say they are wrong.
Another interesting, and rather terrifying theme running through these seminaries is strong interest in false religions and spirituality. American Baptist Seminary of the West offers focuses in Buddhist Chaplaincy, Islamists Studies, Hindu Studies and Jewish studies as part of its MDiv program. The aforementioned Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School offers classes in “Celtic Spirituality for Modern Life” and “Forest Spirituality”. Clearly, none of these have anything to do with the Bible or Christianity but they are being taught to the future pastors of many churches, even churches that are more conservative.
While I did pick on one denomination here, many of these schools are affiliated with multiple denominations, and even in what has previously been considered conservative seminaries, things are drifting left. One of the Southern Baptist seminaries recently laid off the entire conservative wing of its faculty. Many in the pews do not recognize how much the landscape has shifted even since they were college students. They think the seminary they, or their friend, or their pastor went to still must be safe for their budding pastor or missionary. Sadly, they are not. This is both the fault of the church leadership, for not cleansing these seminaries of their heresy, and the church laity for continuing to send their children like sheep to the slaughter to be eaten alive by these wolves. As it stands, these seminaries are irreclaimable. Most others are as well. If you have a child who is looking at colleges, examine each school closely to make sure they are not infiltrated with this nonsense. Christianity is digging its own grave by sending our children to be trained as sheep by wolves. Is it any surprise that they come home wolves?
Do you know what’s going to happen when you die? Are you completely sure? If you aren’t, please read this or listen to this. You can know where you will spend eternity. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us, we’d love to talk to you.
In His Image 