So what kind of education do you think the workers need, Junia? How about this? Taken from
www.tms.edu/about.aspAbout The Master's Seminary
Institutional Purpose
The Master's Seminary exists to advance the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping godly men to be pastors and/or trainers of pastors for excellence in service to Christ in strategic fields of Christian ministry. This is to be accomplished through an educational program and an environment of spiritual fellowship and relationships which emphasize unreserved commitment to the worship of God, submission to the authority of the Scriptures, a life of personal holiness, the priority of the local church, and the mission of penetrating the world with the Truth.
Educational Priorities
The Master’s Seminary offers graduate-level biblical, theological, and professional education designed to equip men for effectiveness in Christian ministry to the universal body of Christ, primarily through the local church. This educational task is accomplished through emphasis on the following:
* Careful instruction in the Scriptures, including the original languages
* The study of various systems of theological thought including exposure to both past and present movements in history and Christian missions with a view to embracing a comprehensive, coherent theology built from Scripture
* A consistent focus upon involvement and accountability within a local church
* Ongoing efforts to challenge each student in developing a biblical philosophy/style of ministry
* The development and improvement of communication, relationship, leadership, and administrative skills for ministry. The objective is to produce graduates who are recognized as men of God and who are equipped to serve effectively as pastors, missionaries, teachers, evangelists, counselors, and leaders in evangelical ministries around the world (1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9)
Training Distinctives
The seminary community and curriculum are designed with the following goals and ideals in view:
* Excellence in academics is to be cultivated in an attitude of spiritual devotion
* The essential focus of all study at the seminary is to be biblical, exegetical, theological, expositional, and practical
* Though other viewpoints are given careful consideration, the emphasis is to be positive in building upon the certainties of God’s inerrant Word
* Careful attention is to be devoted to the cultivation of Christian character qualities and living skills which are essential for godly living, for leadership in ministry, and for effective involvement in serving others
* Each program of study is to include a significant focus on the development of the appropriate ministry skills which are necessary for effectiveness in the chosen areas of Christian service
* The entire seminary community is to be characterized by the desire for the worship of God, mutual edification, and by an evangelistic and missionary zeal
Personal Objectives
The following characteristics portray an alumnus of The Master’s Seminary in terms of the kind of person he should be, what he should know, and what he should be able to do.
Character—He should be a godly man, notable for holiness of conduct in all his relationships (Ps. 1; 15; 1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9).
He should be caring, generous, wise, discerning, mature, secure, disciplined, accountable, humble, purposeful, empathetic, and teachable.
He should be a loving and responsible husband and father (if married and if blessed by God with children—1 Timothy. 3:4–5; Titus 1:6), and his heart should be moved by the compassion of Christ for others. He should readily acknowledge his own failures and deal honestly and humbly with sin in his own heart (Prov. 28:13; Matt. 7:1–5).
His service for God should reflect the awesomeness and glory of ministry (2 Cor. 2:14–6:10) with awareness that God is concerned with attitudes as well as with actions (1 Sam. 15:22–23; 1 Cor. 9:24–27; 1 Pet. 5:1–7).
His Christian life should reflect stability and maturity (1 Tim. 3:2, 6–7) as demonstrated by the exercise of good judgment in facing the trials of life and ministry in a contemporary context (1 Tim. 6:11–12; 2 Tim. 2:1–13; 4:1–8).
He should be one who establishes genuine, God-centered relationships with a wide range of people, encouraging and exhorting them according to their need in the mutual pursuit of God (Gal. 6:1–5).
Knowledge—He should have a general comprehension of the entirety of God’s written revelation and should have developed a well-formulated theological framework which adequately synthesizes the biblical and historical data. He should have a functional linguistic facility in biblical Hebrew and Greek, and a basic knowledge of the contributions of major Christian leaders, thinkers, and authors throughout church history (Ezra 7:10; 1 Tim. 4:13–16; 2 Tim. 2:2, 14–15; 3:14–17; 4:1–4).
He should have an understanding of the world, of culture, and of human problems, interests, and concerns. He should be able to address contemporary culture with a biblical worldview and confront unbiblical religious and philosophical thought in defending the Christian faith (Col. 2:8; Tit. 1:9; 1 Jn. 2:15–17). He should know himself, including his strengths, weaknesses, responsibilities, and people skills (Matt. 20:20–28; Acts 6:1–7; Eph. 4:11–13; 1 Pet. 5:1–3).
Abilities—He should be able to articulate a biblical philosophy of ministry that balances principles of worship, prayer, exposition, edification, evangelism, and discipleship.
He should be able to lead with conviction, teach with authority, and preach with passion. He should be able to use appropriate tools for research, for record-keeping, and for writing. He should be sharpening those skills through the efficient use of research facilities, critical reading of current literature, and other forms of continuing education. He should be able to make decisions, to motivate, to listen, to empathize, to set priorities, and to defend the faith.
He should be able to assess the needs of individuals and apply the Word of God to those needs in various ministry situations such as preaching, teaching, counseling, and witnessing (1 Cor. 2:1–5; 1 Tim. 2:2; 2 Tim. 2:14–15; 4:1–5; Tit. 1:9). He should be able to equip and stimulate people to do the work of ministry (Eph. 4:11–13; 2 Tim. 2:2).
He should know how to lead in church activities, administer church ordinances, and conduct the services and ceremonies of the church in a God-focused manner.
He should be deeply involved in the ministries of evangelism, discipleship, restoration, and edification with conviction and passion. He should have a deep concern for the lost and he should be challenged by the biblical command to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. These concerns should be evidenced in his prayer life, in his evangelistic endeavors, and in his lifestyle. In all his roles, he should model the message he proclaims (1 Tim. 4:12; 2 Tim. 3:10–14; Tit. 2:6–8; 1 Pet. 5:1–3).
Educational Parameters
To adhere unswervingly to the founding purpose of training pastors to shepherd and equip Christ’s church.
To keep The Master’s Seminary faithful to its biblical foundations. All biblical content is to be based on God’s inerrant Word and developed through the exegetical process. The curriculum must constantly reflect scriptural absolutes to avoid deviation from God’s truth.
To enrich faculty leadership. Every member of The Master’s Seminary faculty fits a fivefold profile in that they are all men of God, men of the Word, men of scholarship, men of Christ’s church, and men of compassion.
To insist on an educational philosophy that is consistent with Scripture by:
* Majoring on biblical certainty, not doubt or theory
* Striving for spirituality in The Master’s Seminary students, not intellectualism alone
* Preparing men to serve the Lord, not merely to know about the Lord
* Emphasizing a methodical, disciplined approach to studying Scripture rather than using a haphazard approach
* Encouraging excellence and never accepting mediocrity
* Expecting the faculty to be examples, not merely experts
* Stressing the imperative to function in the body of Christ, not merely function as an individual
To emphasize the well-articulated goals of The Master’s Seminary—both personal and pastoral:
Personal:
* To cultivate a holy, intimate relationship between every student and God
* To produce compassionate men who have gracious relationships with others
Pastoral:
* To study God’s Word with precision
* To speak God’s message with power
* To serve God’s purpose with zeal
* To shepherd God’s flock with care
* To fight God’s battle with courage.
Only by maintaining these personal and pastoral goals will The Master’s Seminary build the complete man of God.
The Master's Seminary - 13248 Roscoe Blvd - Sun Valley, California 91352-3739
Phone: 818.782.6488 - Fax: 818.909.5725
Copyright 2007, The Master's Seminary. All rights reserved.