Should I persue a secular degree?

[Justin The Baptist]

I've recently answered the calling of ministry on my life. I'm a 17 year old entering my senior year of high school. I've done very well so far in high school, I have a 4.0 GPA, I'm 10th in my class of 350, and I scored a 1300 on the SAT. Before I realized my calling I had planned to get an Economics degree, and then an MBA and head off to Wall Street to seek my fortune. My dilema is this: should I still get a secular degree (most likely Economics), and then get a Masters and Doctorate in Theology? It would give me an option to fall back on if, Heaven forbid, ministry doesn't work out for me. What is your opinion?

 

[Shannonkish]

What is your "calling?" Mininstry happens in many forms. I have quite a few friends, including myself who pursued so called "secular" degrees and work in the "secular" field but are very active in ministering.

Being a businessman/woman is just as much a ministry as being a pastor.

Ron Luce, the President and Founder of Teen Mania Ministries, has his MBA from Harvard (a business degree).

We need more people in the business world ministering than we do in the church ministering.

I will stop before I get on my soapbox about this, but just remember that just because you aren't working in a church does not mean that you aren't ministering.

I minister on a daily basis to lost and hurting kids and their families (I am Family Counselor)... I minister without mentioning His name as well (for legal reasons)... it is just as effective.

 

[Justin The Baptist]

What is your "calling?" Mininstry happens in many forms. I have quite a few friends, including myself who pursued so called "secular" degrees and work in the "secular" field but are very active in ministering.

Being a businessman/woman is just as much a ministry as being a pastor.

Ron Luce, the President and Founder of Teen Mania Ministries, has his MBA from Harvard (a business degree).

We need more people in the business world ministering than we do in the church ministering.

I will stop before I get on my soapbox about this, but just remember that just because you aren't working in a church does not mean that you aren't ministering.

I minister on a daily basis to lost and hurting kids and their families (I am Family Counselor)... I minister without mentioning His name as well (for legal reasons)... it is just as effective.

I'm being called to full-time ministry, in a church capacity as a senior pastor.

 

[Shannonkish]

Welp, I don't see any harm in getting a degree in Economics. It can't hurt anything. Have you prayed about it?

 

[Justin The Baptist]

Welp, I don't see any harm in getting a degree in Economics. It can't hurt anything. Have you prayed about it?

What I fear is putting off my calling, and getting lost in the sea of inequity that is secular college life.

 

[Shannonkish]

Well, to be a pastor you will have to have a degree, correct? My Pastor has his BA in Philosophy and Marketing (don't ask me how they go together)... and his MA in Theology.

There is a lot of ministry needed at colleges, i choose a Christian college to attend, and a part of me regrets it because of the missed opportunity to minister.

Having a degree in Economics will give you something to fall back on, and it could be used to help your church. A lot of pastor's are bi-vocational, and in the event that you may have to be bi-vocational in order to pay the bills, this degree will help.

 

[bliz]

Shannonkish is ginving you good advice. If you are going to persue being a pastor, you should get a bachelor's degree and then go on to seminary. You have to get that degree in something.

To study economics does not mean that you have to attend a non-Christian college. Many Christian colleges offer degrees in economics. (Check out www.cccu.org for a great list of schools.) You could double major in Bible, if you wished, or another field that would be useful in ministry - anything from psychology to business management to organizational leadership. I have also known great pastors who studied engineering, mathametics, drama - you name it!

If God has given you a passion and interest in a field of study, it is there in your life for a reason. YOu may have no idea what yet, but don't dismiss God given interests.

The demands upon pastors vary greatly depending upon where they serve and the members of their congregation. I have a friend who is an assistant pastor at a church in the shadow of several major universities. Undergrad and graduate students, faculty members and administrators populate the congregation and are frequent visitors. A pastor who would say "I don't need to understand the Bible, I just need to know that God said it and believe it!" will have no effective ministry in that community. The fact that she has a PhD as well as an MDiv is important to her work there.

Since you have no idea where God is calling you to serve yet or what the exact nature of your inistry will be, give yourself as braod a taining and background as you can get. And don't forget - even at a non-Christian university, there are Christian faculty and students. My daughter is studying in an area that no Christian college offers degrees in.Yes, she's with a lot of non-Christian students and all that that means, but she has made great Christian friends, found Christian faculty members and a dean or two. See what path God calls you to.

 

[femmejolie]

I agree with Shannonkish on this one! I hate to question what you feel your purpose is, only God knows that. However I can relate to you what I have observed.

What I see with a lot of teens and twenties that are raised in the church is that they have a wonderful, fulfilling, and somewhat emotionally charged church experience and therefore decide that they should be in the ministry. God called us to be in the world but not of it. If you truly have a gift of ministry then God needs you just as much (if not more) in a "secular" position.

Too many young christians are isolating themselves away from the secular world. If nothing else, I would encourage you to go to a secular college to get some experience of living and ministering within a really difficult mission field. Find out what's out there and learn to love and interact with all kinds of people. If you truly are meant to pastor a church then God will keep that passion burning in you and give you valuable experiences to use later in life.

 

[PaladinValer]

Many churches and denominations require you to have some higher educational background. My Episcopal Church mandates folks to have a BA or BS before entering seminary.

I would advise that you earn at least a Bachelor's degree.

 

[Justin The Baptist]

I appreciate the advice from everyone. Thanks for sharing your opinions.

 

[eutychus]

Your story sounds like mine. I as well had a decent GPA, SAT score, and class rank, only with a hardcore love for the periodic table and Chemistry. For the longest time I planned on pursuing a degree in Chemistry and then going to Seminary for my M.Div, mainly because in the field I think that a liberal arts degree would be very helpful. Well, I'm a junior in college, in a Bible College, because after thinking I had plans straight I somehow ended up studying here. God's given me a desire to be here for now, but I would still adore getting a liberal arts degree.

With that said, I think it's wise to get a liberal arts degree. I think it could serve you in either bivocational ministry or somehow else in your ministry. However, if God strips you of those desires, then flow with it. His plans for your life can't be thwarted, and he will take care of you, no matter what you decide. A friend of mine had the same credentials as me, went to Bible College for a year, and then decided he wanted to pursue a degree in English before going to seminary. Things will work out for both of us, I'm sure. He isn't called the Good Shepherd for no reason.

In His Grip,
Cass

 

[Boss_BlueAngels]

Man, you make "secular" colleges sound like some aweful free-for-all and anti-Christian. God didn't call us to save the people who are already saved, He called us to go out into the world and be a witness to them. I'm at a public University and we have a religous studies program that is pretty decent. I've taken one of the classes, "Sacred books of the world" and was really quite an amazing class! She discussed every major world religion in a very non-biased way. As a Christian, it was extremely helpful in order to better understand where other religons are coming from.

Also, you have a lot of time to decide what you're going to do with your degree, and which degree to pursue! Don't worry about it right now, enjoy the rest of high school and see what develops over time. And ya know what, God made those other degrees important also.

 

[Justin The Baptist]

Man, you make "secular" colleges sound like some aweful free-for-all and anti-Christian. God didn't call us to save the people who are already saved, He called us to go out into the world and be a witness to them. I'm at a public University and we have a religous studies program that is pretty decent. I've taken one of the classes, "Sacred books of the world" and was really quite an amazing class! She discussed every major world religion in a very non-biased way. As a Christian, it was extremely helpful in order to better understand where other religons are coming from.

Well the basic problem I see is this, college is, as best I can tell, the average college student is a morally bankrupt person getting involved with activities of that nature. I frequent other secular message boards, and a recent topic of discussion was how to best get away with smoking reefer in the dorms. My impression is that that is the rule, as opposed to the exception. I can invision myself getting stuck in a room with some pothead that litters his wall with pornography and frequently tears things up and generally makes things difficult on me. I'm just not interested in being involved with such as that.

Also, you have a lot of time to decide what you're going to do with your degree, and which degree to pursue! Don't worry about it right now, enjoy the rest of high school and see what develops over time. And ya know what, God made those other degrees important also.

I hate high school, it's a waste of my time. Of course I won't have to decide what bachelors degree I'm going to persue in the next few days, but I think it's time to start considering my options.

 

[bliz]

Well the basic problem I see is this, college is, as best I can tell, the average college student is a morally bankrupt person getting involved with activities of that nature. I frequent other secular message boards, and a recent topic of discussion was how to best get away with smoking reefer in the dorms. My impression is that that is the rule, as opposed to the exception. I can invision myself getting stuck in a room with some pothead that litters his wall with pornography and frequently tears things up and generally makes things difficult on me. I'm just not interested in being involved with such as that.

Are there no Christians at secular colleges and universities? My daughter attends a secular university where there is a higher than average consumption of alcohol, drugs and illicit sex... and she has found Christian faculty members, friends, and other students who just don't care to get involved with those activities. She has also found that those "morally bankrupt" people are people made in the image of God many of whom have, although they don't know it, a hunger for God.

And were you under the impression that none of the activities you don't wish to be involved with happen at Christian and Bible colleges all the time? I've spent a lot of years of my life working with Christian higher education. Anyone who tells you such things don't happen on their campus is a fool or a liar. If you are looking to CHristian education as a guarantee of a safe lifestyle, you are not looking into it for the right reasons, and you will be disappointed with what you find.

If you've been called to ministry, you need to develop some compassion and concern for those "morally bankrupt" people you, ast present, seem to fear.



I hate high school, it's a waste of my time. Of course I won't have to decide what bachelors degree I'm going to persue in the next few days, but I think it's time to start considering my options.[/QUOTE]

 

[Justin The Baptist]

Are there no Christians at secular colleges and universities? My daughter attends a secular university where there is a higher than average consumption of alcohol, drugs and illicit sex... and she has found Christian faculty members, friends, and other students who just don't care to get involved with those activities. She has also found that those "morally bankrupt" people are people made in the image of God many of whom have, although they don't know it, a hunger for God.

While I see your point, we are called to be in this world, not of it. The best parallel I can draw for this is of Lot and Sodom. Lot probably entered Soddom believing he could change Sodom, but Soddom ended up changing Lot. I don't want to be like Lot, I want to be like Abram - who lived in Hebron (my Hebrew is a little rusty, but literally means Fellowship With God) apart from the wickness of Sodom.

And were you under the impression that none of the activities you don't wish to be involved with happen at Christian and Bible colleges all the time? I've spent a lot of years of my life working with Christian higher education. Anyone who tells you such things don't happen on their campus is a fool or a liar. If you are looking to CHristian education as a guarantee of a safe lifestyle, you are not looking into it for the right reasons, and you will be disappointed with what you find.

I appreciate this insight. I hadn't thought that Christian institutions would be of that nature, but after giving it some thought I would suppose that it is definately true. Just like in the youth group at my church, it has a lot of pretenders in it. When you spill a bucket of honey, honey comes out. When you spill a bucket of vinegar, vinegar comes out. College is just a bucket spiller, I think.

If you've been called to ministry, you need to develop some compassion and concern for those "morally bankrupt" people you, ast present, seem to fear.

I do not "fear" them, for I have nothing to fear from them. I percieve college as a difficult time period in my life. I need to guard against failure in these critical eight years of my life.

 

[bliz]

While I see your point, we are called to be in this world, not of it. The best parallel I can draw for this is of Lot and Sodom. Lot probably entered Soddom believing he could change Sodom, but Soddom ended up changing Lot. I don't want to be like Lot, I want to be like Abram - who lived in Hebron (my Hebrew is a little rusty, but literally means Fellowship With God) apart from the wickness of Sodom.

Lot is a fine example... but so are Daniel and his cohorts. They went and were taught and trained by the non-Christians, while maintaining their faith and being a great witness and having a huge impact on that kingdom and the King. Joseph is another example of living in the heart of the world but not being part of it.

God will call Christians to both places... neither choice is inherently wiser or better or superior. The only issue is, which is God calling you to?

 

[MrsSeptemberPenguin]

Depends on what your calling is. It is possible that God is calling you to do something in the economics field. Or have you gotten specific direction elsewhere. There is nothing wrong w/ getting a secualar degree. I technically am. I am majoring in Biology, and am going to be a veterinarian.

 

[bliz]

I'm sorry - this has bugged me from the get go... What is a "secular degree"? Is the study of biology a secular field of study? It is an in depth study of that which God has created. How is that secular? Isn't Gpod the master of everything, not just all that He created but also the systems and things that He eneabled humans to create as well - none of them would exist without God. The study of everything on this earth is a study of God! A study of engineering is preperation to use engineering skills and tools to be good stewards of the world that God made.

 

[Justin The Baptist]

I'm sorry - this has bugged me from the get go... What is a "secular degree"? Is the study of biology a secular field of study? It is an in depth study of that which God has created. How is that secular? Isn't Gpod the master of everything, not just all that He created but also the systems and things that He eneabled humans to create as well - none of them would exist without God. The study of everything on this earth is a study of God! A study of engineering is preperation to use engineering skills and tools to be good stewards of the world that God made.

Heh. Thats definately true. I suppose I define "secular" as anything outside of traditional religious studies.

To answer a previous poster's question, I believe I'm being called to full time ministry as a senior pastor. At this point, I'm not willing to settle for anything else, because I feel like thats the ministry God has called me to.

 

[bliz]

I understand that... and to get to that goal, you will first need a bachelor's degree before going on to seminary and it can be in anything. Literally - anything anybody is giving degrees in! I think of some of the best pastors I know, and one was an engineer first, another a lawyer, another a dentist, another had a business degree.

If you really like economics, make it economics. The besuty of a Christian college is that you could study both economics and get a double major in Bible, or psychiatry, or philosophy...