10 Recommendations for Churches That Care about Theological Education

INTRODUCTION 

Recently I ran across an article by Dr. Anthony Bradley, reflecting on the closure of another evangelical college—diagnosing root issues and offering ways forward. [1] Articles like this continue to multiply as more and more Christian schools of higher education either shut their doors or make significant pivots for any number of reasons. I have been close to this myself—as the Christian college where I attended and gladly taught as an adjunct closed its doors, and the notable seminary I attended and where I gladly teach as a part-time instructor has made its own pivots as it navigates the the cultural/economic/institutional/ecclesial/whatever-else waters we’re in.

I appreciated how Bradley framed his suggestions regarding a way forward for institutions of higher education as “Ten Recommendations” for what Christian colleges must do in light of current realities.

​What I’d like to do here is piggy-back on that idea of “Ten Recommendations”—but instead of recommendations for Christian colleges I’d like to offer Ten Recommendations for churches that want to be part of the solution for theological education and theological formation moving forward. As a pastor of 20+ years who cares deeply about the local church, and an adjunct professor for 6+ years who cares deeply about theological formation and higher education, I want to humbly step into the conversation.

As has been noted, the decline in institutions of higher learning is an opportunity for the church—nudging (forcing?) the church to revisit and reclaim an educational emphasis that has historically always been part of healthy ecclesial cultures. [2] But here’s where care is needed. Yes, this is an opportunity for the church. But this opportunity must not be approached as a take-over or a simple replacement of the academy. Care must be taken so that addressing this issue does not lead to an over-correction creating its own imbalance. This is an opportunity for the church and the academy to re-learn what partnership looks like, for all sides to listen well (and long, and slowly) to each other, discover what both offer, and map out a faithful-and-fruitful way forward that serves what God is doing to advance the mission Jesus gave us in the power of the Spirit: making disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19-20; Acts 1:8).
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My intent and prayer is that these brief recommendations add some light to an important conversation and offer parameters by which the conversation can continue constructively.

WHAT CHURCHES THAT CARE ABOUT THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION MUST DO: 10 RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Adopt and embed the value of theological formation throughout your church. Theological formation and the value theology offers isn’t relegated to one ministry team or one department of the church (even if it might be up to one department primarily to program for adult education). Does your elder or governing board feel the importance of theological formation—both for themselves and the church body? Do all ministry leaders feel the foundational role that theology plays for practical ministry? Are there identifiable ways (whether overt or more subtle) that core theological truths shape and influence teaching content, ministry decisions, and your church’s programming? [3]
2. Start where you can. (But be intentional with where you place your first steps.) I’m confident that there are manageable things most churches can start doing this coming quarter or this coming semester that intentionally builds into the value of theological education. You don’t have to have all the answers before you start addressing the problem. Where you start may not be where you finish. (It probably won’t be.) So start small and start somewhere. The only caveat: Don’t be so quick-to-act that you’re irresponsible or careless. Where you start may not be where you finish, but where you start will set a certain trajectory.
3. Prioritize discipleship and development. Theological education is not an end-in-itself. Christian higher education is about more than rigorous grasp of certain concepts, facts, etc. that pertain to the specific discipline (though it is not less than this!). Christian higher education should keep a larger vision in mind—namely that of conformity to Christ--and it must do this explicitly. This larger vision of conformity of Christ moves the teacher and the student further along in the direction of commitment to God, communion with God, community with each other, character formation, transformation of conduct, and an engagement with the commission Christ gives His followers. [4]
4. Explicitly connect theological education with ministry practice. (And vice versa.) Theological education should not happen in a vacuum. A vision of Christian theological education must recruit teachers who are deeply embedded in the life of their local church. (And not just as teachers, either, but as those who are involved in other areas of church life both to receive and to contribute). Students should be engaged in practical ministry such that their learning becomes a foundation on which they can build application, or the classroom environment becomes a laboratory where they can explore questions that have emerged in the trenches of ministry.
5. Maximize relationships. It’s not new news that people can consume content through any variety of media (earbuds in while you’re shopping, YouTube videos available on every topic, etc.). This availability of consumable content applies equally to theological content. Some of this content is an amazing resource, making theological resources available in ways that serve the church. Some of this content is cringe, as anyone with a microphone and a camera can create a channel—regardless of theological training, church affiliation, or orthodoxy of belief. Wading through our content-heavy reality is where relationships and community must be a feature of churches that care about theological education. These relationships help us digest content as we process it ourselves. We learn to articulate our own convictions (rather than just parrot the beliefs of others) in community. Ideally, the teacher should not just be a “talking head” but an exemplar and mentor. Everyone involved should value listening and learning, and sharing expertise in a posture of care and humility.
6. Champion the call to vocational ministry and high-commitment volunteerism. God is still calling people to serve the church Jesus is building in both vocational and volunteer ways. A healthy church is characterized not by hoarded leadership but by multiplied influence, where every member feels a healthy responsibility to contribute to the well-being of the church body (Eph 4:11-16). [5] Churches must double-down on this calling to participation and commitment. One application of this point is that local churches and denominational leaders must give careful thought to their leadership pipeline, perhaps using Michael Bird’s suggested steps for raising up new ministers as a framework or starting point within their own context. The four steps Bird offers are as follows: “identify prospects,” “affirm and encourage,” “grant opportunities,” and “provide mentoring.” [6]
7. Partner with an institution of higher learning. The key word here is partner. Churches should not completely outsource theological education in such a way that they lose a voice in the relationship between local church and seminary/Bible college. But neither should churches circumvent and thereby short-circuit the needed, legitimate benefits institutions of higher eduction can offer. [7] From my perspective, re-imagining the partnership between local church and seminary/Bible college for the 21st century is one of the key pressing issues of this larger conversation about theological formation. The local church and seminary/Bible college must learn that the theological education of the church is not a tug-of-war (a zero-sum game where we’re competing with each other) but a three-legged race (where we are bound to each other and must communicate well to advance together).
8. Feel it in your church budget and on your church calendar. The obvious must be stated: Theological formation won’t happen without a commitment to theological formation. And what are key ways to show commitment? Money and time. I’m not calling for a careless spending of dollars and days here—this commitment must be responsibly considered and carefully stewarded. But as decisions are made that are responsibly considered, the fact of the matter is that a commitment to theological education needs to be resourced—it will impact your budget and it should show up on your calendar. Don’t get scared away, however, and don’t imagine that only the churches with the biggest budgets and the most flexible calendars can do this. I’m convinced that even a modest commitment in terms of time and money will see significant dividends. There are many ways this can happen. In terms of budget, this could mean a staff position that helps champion theological education for your church, strategic giving to an institution of higher education, resourcing a regional conference with other churches to bring in an expert teacher, a small scholarship fund for students to pursue a degree, or more. In terms of calendar, this could mean finding time in select meetings to provide theological equipping and sharpening (e.g. elder meetings or staff meetings), it could mean setting aside a weekend for a conference with an expert teacher, an evening during the week to read through a systematic theology with others in the church, or more. The ideas are many and must be contextually considered. Let’s not forget the larger point, however: Theological formation won’t happen without a commitment to theological formation.
9. Have a definition of success that provides clarity, direction, and standards. The simple fact of offering theological education of some sort in your local church is not the goal. If orchestrated poorly, theological education can carry danger—such as arrogance, division, and misplaced emphasis. Theological education must not choke out other important aspects of a local church’s ministry programming. Avoiding these pitfalls requires a clear statement of the goal of theological education in your church, and then measurable standards that provide accountability and a gauge of whether you’re moving in the direction of your goal or are drifting from it.
10. Take the long view. Slow and steady wins the race. This conversation around theological education requires institutional leadership (including both the local church and institutions of higher education, see point 7)—wisdom and strategy that is looking to make a positive difference in theological formation not just now, but that is also looking to sustain the positive difference decades down the road. The future of theological education in the church requires compelling conviction, real partnership, wise strategy, systems that are both intentional and nimble, contextual sensitivity, and discerning decision-making (surely along with many other things). None of this happens quickly. So yes, let’s start where we can (see point 2). And then let’s commit to taking the long view—trusting our sovereign God to bear fruit in our faithfulness, always learning as we go, and staying firmly committed to teaching foundational truths in a formative way, for the future of the church.

CONCLUSION 

To restate: My intent and prayer is that these brief recommendations add some light to an important conversation, and offer parameters by which the conversation can continue constructively. I hope this recommendations spark more discussion and lead to action steps you can take in your context. I am confident they can.

I can speak with confidence because I’ve seen how these priorities have taken shape in the life of one local church— the church where I serve. As I have served alongside teams of ministry staff and volunteers to apply these recommendations in our context, I’ve seen tangible ways every one of these recommendations can move forward—both in informal ways and more formally. (Our most formal current programs advancing these recommendations include Brookside Church’s Theology Training that happens in partnership with Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, our 4D Church Leadership Program for residents and interns, and a series of classes we offer periodically that are part of The Brookside Institute.)
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To be sure: We don’t do any of this perfectly. (Read that last sentence again, to make sure it’s clear.) While these recommendations help define our direction in terms of theological formation, some remain more aspirational than others. We’re taking the long view ourselves. But it’s so worth it, and I invite you to join us in caring deeply about thinking intentionally about theological education in the church: foundational truth in a formative way, for the future of the church.

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NOTES

[1] Anthony B. Bradley, “I Watched an Evangelical College Die from the Inside,” posted at Substack on June 2, 2026. Available at https://anthonybbradley.substack.com/p/the-evangelical-college-era-is-over, accessed July 10, 2026.

[2] John Stonestreet and Timothy D. Padgett, “Colleges Closing and the Church’s Opportunity,” posted at Breakpoint on November 18, 2025. Available at https://colsoncenter.org/breakpoint/colleges-closing-and-the-churchs-opportunity, accessed July 13, 2026.

[3] See also Tim Wiebe, “The ‘Why?’ and ‘How?’ of Theological Education in the Local Church,” posted at the Center for Transformational Churches. Available at https://transformationalchurches.org/2024/11/18/the-why-and-how-of-theological-education-in-the-local-church, accessed July 13, 2026.

[4] For more on this picture of Christian discipleship, see especially Tim Wiebe, “A Brief Introduction to 6C Discipleship,” pp. 19-27 in What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus? A Clear, Biblical Picture of Discipleship, published by the author, 2024.

[5] This is not to say leadership roles are unimportant. It is to stress that leadership should serve in an others-centered manner and deeply value equipping others.
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[6] Michael F. Bird, “Where Have the Timothy’s Gone? 4 Ways to Address the Minister Drought,” posted at Logos on July 25, 2025. Available at https://www.logos.com/grow/hall-addressing-minister-drought/, accessed July 13, 2026.

[7] See Michael A. G. Haykin, “On the Closure of Seminaries and Colleges and the Need for Theological Education," posted at Historia Ecclesiastica on August 2, 2025. Available at https://michaelazadaghaykin.substack.com/p/on-the-closure-of-seminaries-and, accessed July 6, 2026.