I am convinced that the best way to cure many of the doctrinal woes and pitfalls that are within our Synod would best be accomplished in one of two ways:
1. Double the amount of time students spend studying the Confessions, and test them radically and hard upon this truth.
or...
2. Test them with the 333 Questions of Chemnitz's Enchridion.
In either of these tests, demand 98% accuracy, and any wrong questions must be gone over, to make sure that these errors are corrected. If they are not corrected and instead willingly held to, let us commend these students to the NALC or the ELCA.
I realize I have set a standard that I myself might not meet this moment. 6 years in the parish have sharpened some things, but others it has dulled. For a student of theology in an intensive program there should be no excuse.
Certification into this Synod is a doctrinal joke.
Lord have mercy upon us.
(Maybe I shouldn't read Sasse on the history of German Lutheranism early in the morning).
3 comments:
Nice.
A 333-question test just scares me on principle, but I should take a look at the Enchridion. :)
I would demand the same certification for professors at seminary and Concordia colleges. One would think that would go without saying, but it doesn't.
Certification was not always a joke... when I went through the process 33 pre-sem students started out as freshmen in college and no more than 6 ended up ordained... at sem I was questioned for 3 hours about the nature of Lutheranism and why I was a Lutheran as the inquisition required for certification... I took the MMPI and a couple of other standardized personality tests along the way and had other interviews prior to the final one. I don't know what it is now...
We are afraid to fail people. We figure they'll just leave on their own, or that some time in the parish will get them sorted out. Or we leave it to vicarage to weed them out.
And to a certain extent... it does. Right around a third of guys won't complete the 4 years at sem - then another 10-20% will quit the ministry within 3 years.
It's just I'm more worried about the guys who WANT to be pastors - just turns out not Lutheran pastors.
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