Enabled by God

It seems to be the default response of some churches. Whenever a young man displays some passion, knowledge of the Scriptures, and a heart for ministry his fate is sealed for the next few years of his life. According to the elders of the church, the only logical next step for the child is straight into the lecture halls of higher education. We are convinced God’s calling on the young man will somehow be moot without formal Greek and Hebrew training, church growth theories, and an Old Testament history survey all under the tutelage of Professor Unibrow.

I have some serious reservations with the merits of this mindset. Acts 4:13 has a way of hitting me like a dagger everytime I pride myself on what I know instead of Who I know.

On the other hand, I also have some reservations concerning those who scoff at and reject outright the benefits of any formal ministry training (usually a charismaniac leader dabbling in heresy). I guess I might need you guys to help me sort things out (enter “Question of the Week!”).

The most pressing question is this:

Is the knee-jerk seminary path for aspiring young ministers biblical?

I mean thoroughly and overtly biblical. Not some vague principle.

Is there a biblical command regarding the necessity of seminary training for young men who feel called to ministry?

If not, then:

What is the biblical model for training budding pastors and leaders in the church?

Bryan