A couple weeks ago I posted on Facebook an observation (based on hearsay, not data) that: (1) there are more people with PhDs in theology who want to teach in seminary than there are teaching positions in seminaries for them to fill, and (2) there are more churches without pastors than there are pastors to fill them.

I then asked, “Any theories about why this is the case?”

As people began to comment, I soon realized that my post had triggered an unfortunate comparison between seminary professors and pastors, and thus between seminaries and churches.

The numbers themselves suggest an obvious answer. A commonly cited number of congregations in America, of any denomination, is 380,000, based on the National Congregations Study. By contrast, there are somewhere around 500 seminaries (my best guess based on lists here and here.) Seminaries have multiple professors, of course, but still this is a vast difference. There are far more churches needing pastors than seminaries needing professors simply because there are far more churches than seminaries.

As to the comparison between professors and pastors, as Michael Haykin observed in a later SubStack post, “Comparing being in the pastorate and in seminary education is like comparing lemons and limes—there are similarities to the latter, for sure—but they are hardly the same in so many ways.”

Dr. Haykin is right: pastoring and being a seminary professor are two different things. This is not to say that pastors can’t be seminary professors and seminary professors can’t be pastors: in many cases they effectively fill both roles. But both vocations require a distinct set of skills, and thus a distinct course of training.

I regret inviting a sloppy comparison between pastors and professors, and I appreciate those who pointed it out, as well as those who responded by honoring the calling of the pastor.

My ill-fated comparison notwithstanding, I wanted to set the record straight about a recurring sentiment that someone who becomes a pastor takes the spiritual and moral “high road” over against the “low road” of the seminary professorship.

Dr. Haykin ably replied from the perspective of a seminary professor of church history, and I want to echo his answer from the perspective of a pastor.

Becoming a pastor does not mean taking the “high road” over against becoming a professor. Every legitimate vocation is a high and holy calling when done in service of Christ; moreover, the church needs men and women who answer God’s call to a life of Christian scholarship and seminary professorship.

For one thing, even if every pastor had the mental apparatus to do the intellectual heavy-lifting that professors and scholars do, he doesn’t have the time this kind of work requires. Neither does he usually have the time to teach subjects aspiring pastors would do well to learn: original languages, church history, theology, etc. Yes, the pastor must be a conscientious student and effective communicator of the Bible—and therefore needs to be well-versed in a variety disciplines—but he also needs to be preaching, visiting, counseling and planning.

Especially in an increasingly secular culture, Christians should be grateful for, not dismissive of, the work of the Christian scholar, and pray that their tribe may increase!

Yes, the church needs qualified pastors who are willing to lead courageously, love sacrificially, preach faithfully, and live with integrity.

AND . . .

The church needs godly scholars and professors who are willing to research diligently, think rigorously, teach passionately, write clearly and publish prolifically.

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