[Vision2020] A Clarification on Certified Pastors

[Nick Gier]

Hi Michael,

I'll be happy to clarify what I met by certifying pastors.  The process 
begins with a seminary education at an accredited seminary and ends with 
ordination within a denomination.  The government would have no control at 
all. Professional agencies, not the government, license their personnel, 
not the government.

Let me give you an example.  I'm sponsoring an Indian Christian student for 
his Ph.D. work.  He graduated first in his class at United Theological 
Seminary in Bangalore (where I did research for my last two books),  and he 
was ordained in the interdenominational Church of South India.  For two 
years running he has won two of the full ride fellowships at Iliff School 
of Theology in Denver. He is also going through a four year probationary 
period before he gets his U.S. ordination.

Good Christians want to make sure that their ministers are thoroughly 
vetted and tested before handing over the responsibility of people's souls 
to them.  It's not just a matter of being hit with a bolt of what some 
people might be the power of the Holy Spirit.  Alleged experiences such as 
these should be joined with proper theological training and experience.

With regard to accreditation, I wish the government did have more control, 
if my experience with the Council on Higher Education (CHE) is typical.  It 
and the U. S. Department of Education oversee all accrediting agencies, 
including the Transnational Association for Christian Colleges and Schools, 
with which NSA was recently accredited.  (What of course is interesting, 
but not surprising, is that both Atwood and NSA attorney Dickison claimed 
that NSA was accredited 2.5 years ago.)  I pointed out a number of problems 
with NSA (Atwood was on a TRACS tour promoting "trinitarian" accreditation 
while NSA was  only a "candidate"; NSA's founder as a discredited scholar 
who and disses the UI, etc.), but the head of CHE said that she could do 
nothing.

There are many fine evangelical colleges and seminaries that play by the 
rules and traditions of academe.  They produce many fine scholars and 
preachers, all with minimal or no governmental intervention. I meet their 
teachers every year at my professional conferences. Yet, Wilson denounces 
these excellent examples of Christian education as at least not evangelical 
or at most un-Christian.  Shame on him.

I hope that answers your question, Michael.  Now what about our debate on 
the problem of evil?

Nick Gier


"The god you worship is the god you deserve."
~~ Joseph Campbell
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