“Most Christians would like to send their recruits to Bible college for five years. I would like to send them to Hell for five minutes. That would do more than anything else to prepare them for a lifetime of compassionate ministry.”
William Booth
Founder of the Salvation Army
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Order of Contents
Suggested Reading
Reading List
Seminaries
Churches
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Suggested Reading
On the Call to the Ministry
Dabney, Robert – ‘What is a Call to the Ministry?’ no date or source info
Are you called to the Ministry? Read this to find out.
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Self-Examination
Church of Scotland – A Humble Acknowledgement of the Sins of Those Preparing for Ministry (1651)
Those preparing for the ministry, try yourselves by this heart searching and convicting piece, and look to Christ for more grace to walk worthily of Him.
Henry, Matthew – Matthew Henry’s Self-Examination Before Ordination (†1714) 13 pp. being questions Henry put to himself before his ordination to see if he was seeking this for the right ends.
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On the Importance of Piety, Study & the Original Languages
Alexander, Archibald – An Address to Candidates for the Ministry: on the Importance of Aiming at Eminent Piety in making their Preparation for the Sacred Office (1832) 20 pp.
Hodge, Charles – On the Necessity of the Knowledge of the Original Languages of the Scriptures (1832) 18 pp.
Miller, Samuel – The Importance of a Thorough & Adequate Course of Preparatory Study for the Holy Ministry (1832) 37 pp.
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Reading List
A Seminary Reading List, by the American presbytery of the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)
Get a head start on good reading before seminary. These are the best works there are on the topics.
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Seminaries
The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) Seminary
Minister in a straight-up, Biblical, historic, reformed church that was organized by the leadership of John Knox in 1560. We live and die for experiential religion and preaching, all the Biblical doctrines of our Confession (full subscription), the purity of God’s worship, love for the family of God and the lost, and have a zeal for evangelism. The Free Church (Continuing) has churches in America and has an American presbytery.
Get the best historic reformed education and training there is. The three year program can be done by distance by anyone in the world with an email account. The seminary is FREE to students in training for the ministry in the Free Church (Continuing), as we believe the church should provide for the training of its men.
Note that one must be a member of a congregation of the Free Church (continuing) for two years in order to be considered as an applicant to the ministry so that both member and church can get to know each other better. This is a small time in light of a life of pastoral service and fellowship.
For more information contact the seminary above, the Free Church (Continuing) in America, or the Free Church (Continuing) in Scotland.
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Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary
PRTS in Grand Rapids, Michigan, under the leadership of Joel Beeke, emphasizes the Biblical spirituality and doctrine of the puritans. Most of their textbooks are from the puritans, and it is home to the largest library of puritans in North America. Here is food and training for the life’s work of the pastor.
PRTS comes from a reformed Dutch perspective and the Three Forms of Unity (Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, and Canons of Dort). If you are committed to the historic, reformed theology and practice of the original Westminster Standards, their worship, and ecclesiology, as exemplified on this website, you may feel more comfortable at the Free Church (Continuing) seminary above.
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Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
GPTS is committed to experiential piety, preaching, and teaching according to the full American Westminster Standards. GPTS is not ashamed to uphold these Biblical and historical doctrines, such as the Lord’s Day and Creation in 6-24 hour days, in a day of declension. The professors have also been instrumental in resisting the errors of the Federal Vision and the New Perspective on Paul amongst others. For more, including their affordable tuition program, see their article on Why Choose GPTS?
GPTS comes from the perspective of the Southern Presbyterians and generally the convservative PCA and OPC setting. It is by far more highly recommended than the Westminster Seminaries, Covenant Seminary, Reformed Theological Seminaries, or others. If you are committed to the historic, reformed theology and practice of the original Westminster Standards and their worship, as exemplified on this website, you may feel more comfortable at the Free Church (Continuing) seminary above.
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Churches
List of Presbyterian & Reformed Denominations (not exhaustive)