Should Women Attend Seminary?

Should Women Attend Seminary?

Should women attend seminary? I don’t believe so. Seminaries’ purpose is to teach men to be pastors. Women are forbidden from being pastors. This is what Master’s Seminary states as its purpose: “The Master’s Seminary trains men for pastoral ministry—to preach the Word of God, reach the world for Christ, and teach others to do the same.” I checked out the faculty. At the top, it read, “A United Faculty of Pastor-Theologians.” All of the faculty were men.

Our church needed a pastor a few years ago. We met with the head elder, because we wanted to become members of the church. He told us that he sent out letters to many seminaries in search of a pastor. Most sent back a list of candidates which included women. There are few seminaries left that follow the biblical mandate that only men are to be pastors. The Master’s Seminary is one of them.

Why would women want to attend seminary any ways? It’s incredibly expensive. I have learned from many solid, Bible preaching/teaching men. I didn’t need to attend seminary to learn the Bible.

Many years ago, we went to a conference and listened to Michael Pearl teach through Hebrews. He is an amazing Bible teacher. I loved his teaching so much that I listened to him teach through every book of the Bible that he had on tape. No, he’s not a Pelagian as many accuse him of being. He’s not a Calvinist either but has stated that he agrees with 98 percent of what Calvinist teach. I agree. Most of my favorite preachers are Calvinists. They know and love God and His Word. It doesn’t matter to me if we don’t agree on everything. We won’t agree with any preacher 100 percent!

So there is no need for women to spend a boatload of money to go to seminary. They can learn from solid, Bible preaching male pastors and teachers. There are many on YouTube and other places. I have a list of great sermons I have listened to on my Instagram stories. And no, we don’t need to learn Greek or Hebrew to understand the Bible. There are many men who know Greek and Hebrew and have translated the Bible correctly. God will preserve His Word.

When women tell me I need to learn Greek in order to understand the Bible because they believe I am in error in what I teach, I know their sole purpose for knowing Greek is to twist Scripture to condone what they believe such as women being allowed to be preachers.

God clearly tells us that men are to be the pastors/preachers. He commands the elders in the churches to be “the husband of one wife.” God’s reasons go back to creation, so it has nothing to do with culture. Man was created first, and women are easily deceived. No, women shouldn’t be preaching in the pulpits to a church filled with women with no male accountability or authority over them. This isn’t God’s plan.

God is very specific in what He wants women teaching other women in Titus 2:3-5. From what I have seen, all of these female preachers eventually fall into false teaching and begin partnering with other false female preachers. Besides, God wants women to be keepers at home!

Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
1 Timothy 2:11-15

16 thoughts on “Should Women Attend Seminary?

  1. Sadly, men are deceived too. Many churches in my area have women pastors in church and these women didn’t appoint themselves these positions. The male pastors in authority appointed them in these positions.

  2. Totally agree here. There is no reason women should attend seminary. There are great elders in the church to turn to, biblical pastors online, ask your husband, etc. Seminary is mainly for men to sharpen their biblical knowledge to be a pastor and lead a church.

  3. Lori, you could possibly be the bravest and most honest Christian woman ever! You definitely are a very brave woman that I could only compare to Dr. Esther Vilar, author of “The Manipulated Man (1975)”, a eye opening book about the practices in which women deceive men. She was hated by all feminists and receives death threats even to this day for simply telling the truth. God bless you! You are an amazing writer and Christian!

  4. As a general rule, NO ONE should attend seminary. Most of these institutions are spreaders of heresy and are
    as corrupt and converged as any secular institution of higher learning. There is also no biblical justification for them.

  5. Hi Lori, I definitely agree: women are not to be pastors/elders.
    What are your thoughts on women apologists or women going to Bible college or similar context to learn apologetics?

  6. Yes, may God greatly bless you Lori. Ken, do you have any idea in this whole world what you have in your wife? Ken, did you know what was going to happen in the future with your wife when you first married her? There may be some other women in this world someplace who are as brave and as courageous as you are Lori, but you are certainly among the brightest of the (seemingly very few) God-fearing jewels of the age we live in. ” Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.” Again, may God bless you and keep you, as He has already done so.

  7. Hi Michelle,

    Bible colleges are very expensive and a waste of money for women IMO. Why not learn from great male theologians for free instead? This is all I have done and feel very blessed from the teachings of these men.

  8. Feeriker, I agree that most seminaries are highly corrupt, sadly but I sure do appreciate Master’s Seminary. The men are taught to love God’s Word and how to teach it. Our pastors were trained there and they’re by far the best pastors of any church we have attended personally.

  9. Thank you, Robert. I have always loved teaching! When I was young, I was teaching my little sisters and the neighborhood children. I have never stopped teaching! I simply learned what God wanted me to teach and have loved the ministry the Lord has given to me. The only reason I am “brave and courageous” is because of Christ in me. I know His ways are perfect. I have lived the worldly way and now God’s ways in marriage and God’s ways are FAR superior to the world’s ways, so I want to teach them to anyone who will listen.

  10. You claim that men have authority over women because men were created first… But when you read the first Chapter of Genesis you read that men and women were created simultaneously… What is your theological take on that?

  11. Hi Lori, thank you.
    Regarding Master’s Seminary, I am in complete agreement with you! I don’t trust very many churches anymore but churches from Master’s or other more reformed ones are a breath of fresh air. I’m super grateful for Pastor John MacArthur, also. God has definitely used him tremendously. Been to his church a few times and I have always learned lots each time I’ve gone. 🙂

  12. As a woman who is graduating from Seminary in May, I thoroughly disagree with you on this. I desire to be married, but that hasn’t happened for me yet. I am a voracious reader and deep thinker, so seminary has been a welcome intellectual challenge. I have also been able to do it very inexpensively due to good grades and scholarships, so I have no debt from the endeavor. As a whole, my seminary education has made me a much more precise and effective teacher and church member. And if the Lord provides the opportunity for me to do a doctoral degree in a way that is affordable, and if my life still allows for that to be a good use of my time, I’ll absolutely do it.

  13. Hi Lori,
    My husband went to bible college. Women were not allowed to take the courses offered for a pastoral position.they could, however take the courses pertaining to missions.i sat in on some of my husbands classes just out of interest. But not for credit. So long as the husband has no issue and makes it clear its only to be in a supportive role. I have no issue with it. Although cautiously. On a larger scale, my husband has learnt much more since leaving bible college than when he attended. So Bible college isnt really necessary. And he no longer reccomends it, for the most part. Especially given the way things are going.

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