It is a valid question. Do education and letters behind the pastor’s name mean he is a good shepherd for the flock? I was part of a pastoral search team. It took us a year and a half to find the pastor we felt God was leading to head our church. We studied dozens of resumes in the process, many with impressive educations. We would have overlooked the value of empathy and compassion for the members and a heart for the lost, if we went by education credentials alone. We would have missed the true shepherd for our little flock. I’m not sure institutions of higher Christian learning are capable of teaching those qualities.
“He went on to graduate from Johnson Bible College in Knoxville, TN. He then attended another local institution, Covenant Theological Seminary, a denominational seminary of the Presbyterian Church in America, located in Creve Coeur, MO, where he received a master’s degree in theological studies.He stepped into the pulpit as lead minister with credentials, but did he possess the skills to fill his father’s shoes?” (Taylor, Joy S., A View from the Pews — The Inside Story of a Broken Church, 2022, Lily of the Valley Publishing, Santa Claus IN, p. 39.)
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