07/02/2026
To Seminary Or Not To Seminary
June 30, 2026 by Rick LeSesne
Whether to attend a seminary or bible college has been an age old conversation. There two different opinions that can be argued. On one hand many people say that the original 12 disciples did not go to seminary, so why should we.
Have Seminarys Gone by the Wayside
There are many great preachers who never went to seminary or bible college and it turned out fine for them. On the job training through serving in church as a Sunday school teacher or assisting the Pastor has a progression to serving as a Pastor, Evangelist and so on. In fact that is how I got my beginning before attending seminary. That’s right I did not go to seminary until after I was serving in ministry. So why did I go? While you can serve in ministry without formal Biblical Education. Many churches require additional credentialing, not to mention serving as a Chaplin in some para church organizations require some biblical education background. Even though the original 12 did not have formal “religious education” they spent 3 years with Jesus, which to me counts as the greatest spiritual education. In fact this as commented on by the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:13 “that they had been with Jesus”. In the old testament there was something called the “School of the Prophets”. these groups appear in the narratives of Samuel, Elijah, and Elisha, serving as centers for instruction in God’s law, worship, and leadership preparation The curriculum emphasized preparation rather than instruction in prophecy itself. Prophesying could not be taught as a skill but was God’s gift; however, the schools cultivated the mental and spiritual disposition necessary to receive it, requiring thorough knowledge of God’s law and earlier revelations.(1 Samuel 19:18–24; 2 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 6:1. So whether you go to Seminary or Bible College has pros and cons, but one thing sure whatever direction God takes you in be sure that if you summit to His will and calling you can’t help but be successful.
