I’m pretty much assuming that some of you who read this are going to disagree with me. In fact some of you might actually be frustrated that I called out your education and reliance on words than end in -ology. But here it goes.
First, just a reminder. In general I like to first point fingers at myself with this blog. I tend to write about things I’m wrestling with and if there is ever a bad example needed I can usually find one from my own ineptitude and life.
Let me also say to those of you who don’t know me well I went to school for a long time. I have both an M.Div and a D.Min and the loans to prove it. I am not saying that education isn’t important I just think there are other starting places that are perhaps even more helpful in youth ministry.
So here it goes.
I was a better youth pastor before I got educated. What I mean by that is I was less focused on the “why” and the “how” and more on just the “do” of youth ministry. In many incidents my education has created a whole additional wall between myself and the students. I find myself sitting in an office thinking strategy, spending hours making sure I get the subtle greek nuances correct and over analyzing results to reveal necessary changes. (ok the greek part is a lie but you get my point) 
I read a ton of books about the “how” of youth ministry. I write articles, books, blogs and talk to a lot of friends about youth ministry.
But somewhere in all of that I forget to actually “do” youth ministry.
Here’s the problem as I see it. Because I’ve spent so much time being theologically trained I feel a certain need to make sure that I approach everything from that perspective to somehow justify that education and prove to people it’s relevance.
But the reality is most students don’t care. They just want to know that I love them and that I want to be with them. They don’t care about Greek or Hebrew or eschatology (except 7th grade boys who think the book of Revelation is the best thing ever.) Sometimes our over intellectualizing and need to justify our own education by teaching systematic theology to 5th graders is killing our ministries and over intellectualizing their faith.
Maybe this will make my point better. If you’ve ever seen the tv show “House” you know that the main character is a pretty smart doctor but he’s also a pretty big jerk. Somewhere along the line he managed to pick up some pretty amazing knowledge about doctoring but he missed out on the part where you translate that knowledge into actually being a doctor that cares about people.
What I’m trying to encourage here is people who are in hiring processes to be reminded that just having an M.Div or a Youth Ministry degree or some other higher education degree doesn’t really qualify you to work with students. It’s got to be more than that. We have to create space in our youth ministries for people who have other training and background to feel valuable in their contributions to the ministry.
We are starting to exclude amazing people from our youth ministries because we are placing such a high starting point on youth workers to have a theological degree or education.
Let me finish this slight rant by saying this. I purposefully chose the title of this blog to say that I don’t think Theological “training” is the most important thing. But, I do believe that being Theologically “Driven” is important. I think that can come when you are in the job not as a prerequisite to getting one.
I want my staff to care deeply about theology and to want to grow and to evaluate all we do based on it. I’m hoping that there are a ton of you who decide to go to the Theological Forums at the National Youth Workers Conventions this fall. I hope many of you read books by Kenda Deen and Andy Root. Subscribe to Immerse Journal to read great things by authors who will encourage you to think deeper. I’m hoping that you ask deep questions about the “why” of all that you do you in ministry. I just don’t want you to get sucked into the lie that it’s only when you have some sort of degree that you will be a more respected youth worker.
Care about Theology just don’t get sucked into the lie that it is only when you “get it” that you will be a better youth worker.
Youth Ministry Falsehoods.
- You must be with students 24/7
- You must be young
- You must be single/married
- You must be irresponsible and fly by the Seat of your Pants
- You must be theologically trained
- You must be an extrovert
- You must a great upfront communicator
- You must be wild and crazy and a kid magnet
- You must be willing to be poor
- You must want to be a “real” pastor some day
Lars,
As I was reading this I was thinking of Paul’s advice to Timothy about keeping eye on both his life and his doctrine/theology. I appreciate how you ended the post by not dismissing a theological framework for life and ministry, but it must never be divorced from the trenches of ministry to teens.
This also begs another question for me (which I know is a hot topic on blogs),but I still feel like theological training can look different than it does now. Speaking as a guy who has been chasing an MDiv for 10 years, there is a gravitational pull towards theory, philosophy and the “-ologies” that can frequently pin us in our offices, keeping us from the kids.
Thanks for a good post to chew on!
Nate- I fully agree with you. I think Theology very important. My point (as I tried to make it) is when we make degrees the only litmus test of whether someone will be a good youth worker. I also fully agree that Theological education needs to change. That’s why I threw out the authors I recommend, the magazine I believe in and the conference that is changing to meet this need. Thanks for commenting. As usual your comment makes me want to go and reedit my post because you bring up great points.
one more thought: Glad you brought up NYWC. I am deeply encouraged that they are offering the theological discussion tracks alongside everything else that is offered. It will be a rich experience!
Lars,
To a certain degree, I feel very validated by this blog post. When I started in youth ministry 26 years ago (Yes, in the 80′s!), my double major in Psychology and Theology was what I took into my first call. But no M.Div or similar. I have had numerous opportunities to pursue higher education, but my life circumstances have never permitted. Even now, at the age of 48, I am thinking about opportunities.
What has frustrated me, in addition to being somewhat sidelined for other opportunities (one opportunity was in your neighborhood), is that I frequently lack the ability to articulate what I believe. I have had the fortune of being able to call many “smart/educated” types “friends”. I have gleaned much in their presence and have incorporated that into my own theology and practice thereof. But, more frequently than not, I believe that I lack the education necessary to go deeper, not only with the youth, but with myself.
All this to say: I resonate with your thoughts and pray that those who are searching for a good candidate for ministry will check the candidates’ hearts as well as their minds. But I also resonate with the thought that we work towards growing academically (and otherwise!) as well.
Tom Riggs
Tom- Great thoughts. I agree that in many areas a “formal” degree is helpful but I think you area great case for someone without an upper level theological degree and doing great things. What you need though is not a degree it’s ability to speak in theological terms. You can get that in many different venues and places (as I mention in my article) what I want to make sure we don’t do is to create an exclusive club that doesn’t allow for people who don’t have those types of degrees a place. Working towards in any part of life is a value of mine.
Lars, great post, particularly like your admission that thinking gheologically is important. We’ve all seen where good people have done & said really dumb things because they were coming at YM from a different perspective, than one centered on Christ or a wholistic Christian theology. Which makes me think your title & wording isn’t ACTUALLY what you mean to say. Let me offer this slight amendment:
“You must be ACADEMICALLY qualified/accredited…” You’ll agree that an academic accreditation is not the same as being theologically “trained.” I remember you before your “theology” letters and I’m certain that even that point you’d been theologically “trained” both inside & especially outside the classrom. That theological “training” was imperative to the theological “thinking” that was a hallmark if your previous & current YM. I don’t think it would have occurred on it’s own, I certainly know mine wouldn’t and hasn’t. Without the training, we end up shooting for the lowest common denominatorin YM and all ministry. And that’s never good.
So, no, I don’t agree with your title, but I also don’t think you do either. I believe you’re “training” many leaders theologically right now, both where you are & thru this blog. We have to thank you for not believing theological “training” is unimportant. Letters beside someone’s name from a theological institution are a sign of “academic” training, which, having attained some of them myself, I know are not always a marker of good theological training.
Yes, committees looking to hire Youth Ministers shouldn’t be as concerned about letters & academic credits as other things, but they SHOULD be concerned about whether think & practice YM theologically & to do that they need to be trained. Sometimes that training comes in a classroom, sometimes it comes outside the classroom.
Don- You are right. I was purposefully trying to stir things up with the title. I think “theology” is incredibly important. I just think that proper theology isn’t “only” achieved when you have a degree. My push is that we need to recognize that there are great people who think deeply theological who haven’t been to seminary. The push then is how we can make sure that they are growing and learning and continuing a theological dialogue without telling them that they don’t have value because they don’t have a degree. Thanks for the retweet too. I appreciate your kind words here.
great stuff, makes me think, and thinking makes my head hurt.