Consider the years of rigorous training required to become a neurosurgeon or an army general. Harvard Medical School does not train doctors virtually, nor does West Point ready officers online. Such callings demand commitment, sacrifice, and years of focused preparation. I contend that those called to the sacred task of shepherding Christ’s church and stewarding the oracles of God should likewise seek the best possible training, which is found in face-to-face instruction from godly professors and pastors whose doctrine and manner of life are worthy of emulation.

The future of seminaries is in the news.

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School is closing its Chicago area campus and merging with Trinity Western University in British Columbia. The end of this venerable institution (at least as we’ve known it) is the latest tremor shaking the landscape of theological education.

In recent years some seminaries have repositioned themselves by streamlining degree requirements, launching new programs, and changing their business model by selling properties and trimming faculty. Perhaps most significantly, many seminaries have fully embraced online delivery to offer students maximum flexibility in their training. Ten or 15 years ago, some institutions dabbled with online courses, but now (accelerated by the COVID pandemic and other factors) online seminary has become the default choice for numerous students seeking convenient, cost-effective, quality theological education. Why quit your job, move your family to Deerfield, Dallas, or Louisville, and commute to campus when you can access on-demand courses taught by respected professors from anywhere in the world with an internet connection?

Online and hybrid programs have expanded access to world-class theological teaching for a new generation of seminarians who can tailor their studies around their work and ministry commitments.

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