hard. good.
One of my frustrations with "Christian higher-education" is that it forgets to connect students--quiet and pious students like me or rabble-rousing students like the ones kicked out of my alma mater for gross sins--with the Church. "If you graduate from here, you'll have a Christian worldview. Your life will be better and more valuable to God and society." But what about my heart?
John Frame says this of seminaries,
"...The academic machinery is simply incapable of measuring the things that really matter - a man's obedience to God's Word, his perseverance in prayer, his self control, his ability to rule without pride, the spiritual power of his preaching in the conversion of men and the edification of the church....
More important, such seminaries convey a false impression (to the churches, and to their students and to themselves!) as to how the "knowledge of God" is attained...."
Frame then offers this proposal for new students at a local-congregation-based pastors' training program. Could such a process be employed at a college like Covenant College? Maybe the local congregations around Covenant (around all places secular or religious where Christians are being educated) could covenant to be this kind of shepherd to Christians students during their studies?
"No student will be admitted unless he can make a credible profession of faith in Christ. It may of course be valuable at times to invite non-Christians to participate in the life of the community; but such may never be enrolled in the training program. Applicants must also show prima facie evidence of a call to the ministry (e.g., via testimony of a pastor or session). When he first arrives, a student will spend most of his time in menial work around the building and grounds. He will be expected to manifest the fruit of the Spirit in the sight of all before he is accepted as a full candidate for the ministry. The community wlill evaluate the quality of his devotional life, his "lay" contribution to the work of the churches, his testimony to the non-Christians, particularly his ability to accept correction from his elders in the Lord. Intensive counseling sessions will attempt to uncover unconfessed sin and traits of character detrimental to the ministry. The quality of the man's repentance from these will be observed."
(http://www.shepherdchurch.com/repc/articles/proposal_for_a_new_seminary.html)
