Bible College Graduates

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Paidiske

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Both of you can correct me on this but as I mentioned in post #16, there is a difference between Seminaries, which accept people with an undergraduate degree, and Bible Colleges, which accept people with a high school diploma. This distinction is important.

Not so much in Australia. The college where I studied took students like me - with a prior degree - and students with no prior degree. We studied alongside one another but for different awards (either at Bachelors or Masters level). The word "seminary" isn't really used here, but ordination candidates could be studying at either level.

I do understand there to be a difference between the sort of place I was at, which awarded properly accredited degrees, and colleges which perhaps only award certificates or diplomas. I know relatively little about the latter and have no personal experience of them.
 
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Aabbie James

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My own efforts have shown me that several years after getting out, less than half of all Bible college graduates even attend church.
Jesus said that many will fall away. He also said true Christians should go out into the rot of the world, turn it upside down, and be the salt and light of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. All glory to God alone.

Christians, are you real, or are you fake... are you the salt of the earth... will you endure 'till the end?
 
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topher694

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Jesus said that many will fall away. He also said true Christians should go out into the rot of the world, turn it upside down, and be the salt and light of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. All glory to God alone.

Christians, are you real, or are you fake... are you the salt of the earth... will you endure 'till the end?
I'm not so sure that this applies here. It feels a bit like blaming the victim for getting bullied. I mean I know there are some cases where it is true, but the focus of this conversation hasn't been on those types.
 
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Aabbie James

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I suppose that some of the graduates "fell away" due to personal sin. But if over half are not attending church after four years of Bible colleges, something is wrong with Bible colleges.
Yes it is so.

Most bible colleges today are not much different than the typical public or private university teaching a worldly philosophy to our young people.

Many churches don't do their part either... no salt no light, aging congregations building a wall around themselves and their church, dwindling numbers, no growth. A church that is not growing is dying. Why aren't "Bible College Graduates" getting plugged in to churches and becoming active members of the body? Listen to Jesus' parable of the sower...

In God's house, people want to hear the true gospel of Jesus Christ preached. God's people want to spread that message and see that message spread unto the ends of the earth reaching unbelievers as Jesus commanded.

Thank you for your post Vince53...
 
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Gregory Thompson

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I suppose that some of the graduates "fell away" due to personal sin. But if over half are not attending church after four years of Bible colleges, something is wrong with Bible colleges.
You know how pastors feel like people keep this form of psychological distance from them, because they have a particular type of knowledge?

I have noticed this anyway.

I have also noticed that anyone even if they are not the pastor, who comes off as more knowledgeable in godly things there's this sense of "I just came to church to hear one sermon" type deal.

So it might be in some cases, they just cannot find fellowship.
 
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BNR32FAN

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I haven't been to bible college or seminary. But I contemplated doing it and was encouraged by several from the church I attended. While I can joke about their suggestions in hindsight. It's evident given my calling that wasn't the ideal course. The fact they advised it based on my enthusiasm for the word is disheartening. That's a big investment of time and resources that should be prayed about beforehand.

I've known my share from both institutions. The majority are rich in head knowledge. They can explain complicated concepts with ease. But there was a practical part that was lacking. Many couldn't distill the same in layman's speak or use the mundane as a springboard for deeper lessons.

The 'formula' becomes a noose. They couldn't think outside of it. I recall my time with Alpha as a co-leader. We were the only pair who stayed afterwards to pray for our group. Most of the members were homeless. But they had the biggest breakthroughs of all.

Then there's the little things you can't teach. It comes with wisdom and experience. I used to bring dessert every week. I wanted them to feel special and cared for. And they always enjoyed it. Physical touch was another factor. It isn't commonplace for that demographic. No one squeezes their hand or hugs them. But I did it all the time. They even had birthday cake.

Seeing the Lord lift them from their conditions was miraculous. We saw salvation, healing, deliverance, jobs, apartments, and reconciliations. It was incredible. The secret was love and attentiveness. And trusting the Lord. They walked away knowing the Holy Spirit intimately. I couldn't ask for more.

~bella

Praise The Lord
 
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Paidiske

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You know how pastors feel like people keep this form of psychological distance from them, because they have a particular type of knowledge?

I have noticed this anyway.

I have also noticed that anyone even if they are not the pastor, who comes off as more knowledgeable in godly things there's this sense of "I just came to church to hear one sermon" type deal.

So it might be in some cases, they just cannot find fellowship.

I think it's sort of the other way around. It's not that people keep distance from me, but that I have to keep distance from them. I cannot dump my own personal issues, or freely discuss what I think about the church, but always have to be there for them, or mindful of the politics of different groups, etc etc.

Being in ministry can be lonely - very lonely - but that's more about what I can't share, than what they don't share.
 
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Vince53

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Someone in the Assemblies of God did a small study on that. He reported that when he contacted AOG Bible college grads who did not attend church, they claimed that the pastors were hostile to them because the pastors feared their knowledge and abilities.
 
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topher694

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I think it's sort of the other way around. It's not that people keep distance from me, but that I have to keep distance from them. I cannot dump my own personal issues, or freely discuss what I think about the church, but always have to be there for them, or mindful of the politics of different groups, etc etc.

Being in ministry can be lonely - very lonely - but that's more about what I can't share, than what they don't share.
Agree 100%

Sometimes the Bible School dynamic can manifest as the newly graduating student coming into church with misdirected zeal... meaning they think the know better than the pastor and sometimes even "hear God better". That will clearly lead to all sorts of bad stuff. Essentially graduating something is not an indicator of maturity, but sometimes the immature think it is.
 
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topher694

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Someone in the Assemblies of God did a small study on that. He reported that when he contacted AOG Bible college grads who did not attend church, they claimed that the pastors were hostile to them because the pastors feared their knowledge and abilities.
Wow, I posted the previous before I read this... fits nicely I think.
 
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AnalogJoe

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This happens with everything concerning religion, I read a statistic (and old one BTW) that before the 60s, 80% of those who attended a catholic school ended up keeping the faith after they graduate, after the 60s its around 3%

The world no longer believes, well they believe in themselves, not in God thou.
 
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Vince53

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Joe, I think it was the 2010 Census that reported that 1 out of every 7 US adults is an ex-Catholic.

A 2011 report by Pew Research reported (in 2011) that 10% of the US population is ex-Catholic. Pew Research also reported that (in 2011) the three biggest US religions, in order, were Catholic, Baptist, and ex-Catholic. Various Catholic research organizations accepted those numbers as accurate.
 
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AnalogJoe

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Joe, I think it was the 2010 Census that reported that 1 out of every 7 US adults is an ex-Catholic.

A 2011 report by Pew Research reported (in 2011) that 10% of the US population is ex-Catholic. Pew Research also reported that (in 2011) the three biggest US religions, in order, were Catholic, Baptist, and ex-Catholic. Various Catholic research organizations accepted those numbers as accurate.

Yes, that sounds about right. Mexico's population used to be 97% Catholic in the 70s, today it is 82%, it is still a big chunk, making it the 2nd country on earth with the largest Catholic population (after Brazil). Now, that 82% is also not real, because that 82% counts everyone who was baptized, that includes "Catholics" who only go to church for weddings or funerals and "Catholics" who's parents baptized them but who don't believe in God at all, I have friends who baptized their children just because the in-laws insisted on it.

Acording to Mexico's National Census, the fastest growing religion in the country is actually atheism...

And I don't need a census to know that, every time I go to church on Sunday I can count with my fingers the amount of people under 40 y/o. Yesterday I counted around 3 children amongst a crowd of about 130.

So in my opinion, Christianity in general is declining, fast.

I will say something about the Protestants here thou, they are devout, there are not many of them, but they are devout, and their numbers are increasing, not as much as atheism, but they are increasing, whilst Catholicism is declining...
 
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Vince53

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Joe, I didn't catch it until your last post, but you live in Mexico. My wife and I are retired Americans who are happily retired in "The Gringo Zone" around Lake Chapala.

Where are you?

And if you are on Facebook, please send a Friend Request to Vincent Massi.
 
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AnalogJoe

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Joe, I didn't catch it until your last post, but you live in Mexico. My wife and I are retired Americans who are happily retired in "The Gringo Zone" around Lake Chapala.

Where are you?

And if you are on Facebook, please send a Friend Request to Vincent Massi.

Hey Vincent, I'm located in the metropolitan area of Mexico City, which is actually Mexico State, but I work at a university at the south side of the city, so it takes me around 2 hours to commute from my house to the university (that was before the pandemic).

Did you find a good Baptist church where you live? I guess that if its called the "Gringo Zone" then there must be some Evangelical churches available. When I used to live in Ohio during my Master's I had some trouble locating a Catholic parish, I did find one, but there weren't many, Evangelical churches on the other hand were all over the place.

Here in Mexico City is the opposite, there are like 10 Catholic churches very near to me but I only know of one Baptist, one Methodist and one Presbyterian near to me.

I'm not on social media :( but you can send me a PM here or an e-mail and I'll be glad to chat.
 
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philadelphos

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That is certainly one factor in this trend. I would add another factor: more and more churches nowadays become quite superficial. The pastor's/priest's message becomes less deep, sometimes churches even go so far to support the "mainstream" and promote clearly unbiblical things.
Therefore not only the unbelieving students don't go to church but also the highly believing students don't attend church.

I myself am a fundamentalist and believe the Bible to be the absolute truth. Yet I haven't been to a church in 12 years because I was unable to find a church/pastor that takes God and the Bible as important as I do.

False teachers are a more rampant than most are willing to believe, subtle ones, covert ones, avoidant ones. People are at enmity with God, congregations and church leaders no different, forming self-serving institutions. Bible Colleges in our times are no longer the keepers or preservers of the Holy Scriptures, or literacy in divine matters. The monopoly is over. Instead they profiteer off peoples' diverse interests, offering new agendas, everything but Mark 1:15 "repent ye, and believe the gospel" and Jn 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments".

e.g. Focusing outwardly, hypocritically and vainly, on 'evangelicalism' or 'missiology' and neglecting Christology, soteriology, harmartiology, Torah, Hebraic and semitic studies. i.e. focusing on 'doctrines of men', often false doctrines, popular agendas that suit them, paid for by them, programmed by them for them. Thus both are self-serving biased and corruptible institutions. Never growing and maturing, only vain pursuits and finger-pointing. So even if sermons, lectures, lessons, are FREE, people don't attend. Not unless lunch or some other tangible benefit is being offered.

"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" (1 Jn 4:20) "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain." (Js 1:26) "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth." (1 Cor 8:1)
 
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Pioneer3mm

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Yes, that sounds about right. Mexico's population used to be 97% Catholic in the 70s, today it is 82%, it is still a big chunk, making it the 2nd country on earth with the largest Catholic population (after Brazil). Now, that 82% is also not real, because that 82% counts everyone who was baptized, that includes "Catholics" who only go to church for weddings or funerals and "Catholics" who's parents baptized them but who don't believe in God at all, I have friends who baptized their children just because the in-laws insisted on it.

Acording to Mexico's National Census, the fastest growing religion in the country is actually atheism...

And I don't need a census to know that, every time I go to church on Sunday I can count with my fingers the amount of people under 40 y/o. Yesterday I counted around 3 children amongst a crowd of about 130.

So in my opinion, Christianity in general is declining, fast.

I will say something about the Protestants here thou, they are devout, there are not many of them, but they are devout, and their numbers are increasing, not as much as atheism, but they are increasing, whilst Catholicism is declining...
Interesting comment..from a Catholic.
- About 'Catholics/Catholicism'.
---
I was in Brazil..years ago.
- I heard.."some Catholics are becoming Protestants."
 
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AnalogJoe

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Interesting comment..from a Catholic.
- About 'Catholics/Catholicism'.
---
I was in Brazil..years ago.
- I heard.."some Catholics are becoming Protestants."
Well I am a Catholic but I am also a math kind of guy, so I analyze (or over-analyze) when it comes to statistics.

There are defenitely many Catholics becoming Protestants, and I will tell you my opinion as to why. I am not trying to dismiss Protestants, but the main reason why I think Catholics become Protestants is due to their ignorance about Catholicism, in sum: bad catechesis. Not all Catholics become Protestants for that reason, many truly convert for good reasons, but I think most do it because of ignorance about Catholicism, let me explain....

Most Catholics don't know their own faith, don't read the Bible, don't read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, they only know what they hear when they go to Mass (if they ever go to Mass...), they don't even know how they are saved! they don't know what it means that Jesus died for their sins, it is true that we believe that both faith and works are needed, but many just think its only works: "As long as I don't steal or murder I think I am a good guy and I will go to heaven" or "God just wants me to do whatever I want to do to be happy" AKA "Lucifer's 1st commandment".

Many just think that Jesus was a very good guy who suffered a horrible death 2000 years ago but they don't know exactly what was the whole purpose of the incanation, they don't even have a concept of the Trinity (not to say that I know exactly how the whole 3 persons-1 God mistery works, but I understand the concept and accept it), also, priests will only tell people what they want to hear so they keep going to church, I don't know when was the last time I heard a priest talking about Satan, hell or damnation, its all about love these days...

There is a lot of what is commonly refered to as "Catholic Witchcraft", for example: many people think that a rosary is some kind of talisman against evil. Recently I took a taxi, I started chatting with the driver, he had a rosary on his rear mirror and an image of the Blessed Mother on the dashboard (I think, I couldn't see it very well), I asked him if he was a Catholic, he answered: "Not really, well, I think its not really important what you believe in as long as you do it with love", those are the majority of "Catholics" here.

Many think that praying to a saint for a favor is like chanting some magic spell to a deity: "If you say the correct words during 5 days to St. X and if if you light a candle under his image, he will grant you the money you need". Why do you think some people can be as naive as to call themselves "Catholic" and worship "Santa Muerte"? Ignorance, that is why....

When Protestants, who, like I just previously said, are more devout and informed in general about their faith, come and teach an ignorant Catholic the basics about Christianity and that person realizes that most of his/her beliefs and practices like "Catholic Witchcraft" are completly wrong, they switch and assume that Catholicism is actually about all the wrong ideas they had before their conversion, that all Catholics are as ignorant and in error as they were once before.

Also, the whole sex and abuse scandals in the church don't help much either....

What do you think?
 
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Pioneer3mm

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Well I am a Catholic but I am also a math kind of guy, so I analyze (or over-analyze) when it comes to statistics.

There are defenitely many Catholics becoming Protestants, and I will tell you my opinion as to why. I am not trying to dismiss Protestants, but the main reason why I think Catholics become Protestants is due to their ignorance about Catholicism, in sum: bad catechesis. Not all Catholics become Protestants for that reason, many truly convert for good reasons, but I think most do it because of ignorance about Catholicism, let me explain....

Most Catholics don't know their own faith, don't read the Bible, don't read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, they only know what they hear when they go to Mass (if they ever go to Mass...), they don't even know how they are saved! they don't know what it means that Jesus died for their sins, it is true that we believe that both faith and works are needed, but many just think its only works: "As long as I don't steal or murder I think I am a good guy and I will go to heaven" or "God just wants me to do whatever I want to do to be happy" AKA "Lucifer's 1st commandment".

Many just think that Jesus was a very good guy who suffered a horrible death 2000 years ago but they don't know exactly what was the whole purpose of the incanation, they don't even have a concept of the Trinity (not to say that I know exactly how the whole 3 persons-1 God mistery works, but I understand the concept and accept it), also, priests will only tell people what they want to hear so they keep going to church, I don't know when was the last time I heard a priest talking about Satan, hell or damnation, its all about love these days...

There is a lot of what is commonly refered to as "Catholic Witchcraft", for example: many people think that a rosary is some kind of talisman against evil. Recently I took a taxi, I started chatting with the driver, he had a rosary on his rear mirror and an image of the Blessed Mother on the dashboard (I think, I couldn't see it very well), I asked him if he was a Catholic, he answered: "Not really, well, I think its not really important what you believe in as long as you do it with love", those are the majority of "Catholics" here.

Many think that praying to a saint for a favor is like chanting some magic spell to a deity: "If you say the correct words during 5 days to St. X and if if you light a candle under his image, he will grant you the money you need". Why do you think some people can be as naive as to call themselves "Catholic" and worship "Santa Muerte"? Ignorance, that is why....

When Protestants, who, like I just previously said, are more devout and informed in general about their faith, come and teach an ignorant Catholic the basics about Christianity and that person realizes that most of his/her beliefs and practices like "Catholic Witchcraft" are completly wrong, they switch and assume that Catholicism is actually about all the wrong ideas they had before their conversion, that all Catholics are as ignorant and in error as they were once before.

Also, the whole sex and abuse scandals in the church don't help much either....

What do you think?
Good post.
You are frank/open...about your view/assessment concerning Catholics.
---
I have a friend who is Catholic.
- He is one of those 'Catholics'..you mentioned.
---
I did not give any criticism to him..about Catholicism.
- He started..asking questions.
- Spiritual issues, Protestants, etc..
We had interesting conversations/discussions.
 
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