Seminary?

So I decided I will not go to seminary this quarter. Perhaps winter or spring. But not during the fall. The largest problem with this of course is that they have their courses laid out in order as the year goes through and most fall quarters I am unavailable. The seminary I currently attend is not the one I will most likely finish at. There are a few I am looking at for the future when I attend more full time and actually pursue finishing a masters level degree. I have a feeling that this will happen somewhere in the PDX area, but who knows.

The next question is what to do with such a degree?

Many people have asked me why I am going to seminary? My answer has always been the same. To learn more about Theology, the Bible, Church, Christian History, the role of a pastor, etc.

Then they ask, well are you going to be a pastor?

Most the time I say I don't know. This catches them off guard. But the truth is that I don't know. At first I wanted to go to aid me in my youth ministry career with the hopes of some day becoming a college professor at a Christian University/Bible School/ or some kind of Seminary.

However, lately I have been praying, thinking, strategizing about pursuing becoming a 'pastor'. Now this is kind of tricky because some people would say I am a pastor right now. It all depends on who you ask. My title says 'youth director' yet I have the role and responsibilities and expectations of a pastor. I also have to attend all of our pastoral meetings where I currently work. I personally like the title 'Youth Director' because it does give me flexibility to get out of some obligations.

Anyways....what I meant was a 'senior pastor'. But I don't think I will ever be a 'Senior Pastor', because I think I would give myself another title. I think I would plant a church that hopefully God could work through me to lead in a way that puts all the attention on him and not myself. I don't think preaching from a pulpit would be a regular weekly thing. But I think I would be interested in being a pastor over a church of people. Just in a more organic way that is heavily influence by the Christian churches pre-third century when Greek Pagan customs took over.

But who knows what will happen. It all comes back to the reason I go to seminary is to further equip and edify myself to serve God however he wants.

For all I know he will call myself and my wife to Africa someday to help in the missions field (this being her dream and not mine). In the END God will win, if I live my life right and actually listen to HIM.

So I guess this is a long answer to all those who have ever asked why to seminary.

-Cheers