More About Education

Some of you know that I get pretty passionate when it comes to education. The man in the center of the picture to the left is St. Jean Baptiste de la Salle, founder of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and Patron of Christian Teachers. Born into a devout and influential family, de la Salle joined a monastery at age eleven and was named Canon of the Reims Cathedral at sixteen. Though he had to assume the administration of family affairs after his parents died, he completed his theological studies and was ordained priest on 9 April, 1678. Two years later he received the doctorate in theology.

Meanwhile he became tentatively involved with a group of rough and barely literate young men who wanted to establish schools for poor boys. Almost by accident, the young De La Salle gradually assumed the leadership of the small group of lay teachers. Moved by the plight of the poor who seemed so "far from salvation" either in this world or the next, he determined to put his own talents and advanced education at the service of the children "often left to themselves and badly brought up." To be more effective, he abandoned his family home, moved in with the teachers, renounced his position as Canon and his wealth, and so formed the community that became known as the Brothers of the Christian Schools.

His enterprise met opposition from the ecclesiastical authorities who resisted the creation of a new form of religious life, a community of consecrated laymen to conduct gratuitous school "together and by association." The education establishment resented his innovative methods and his insistence on gratuity for all, regardless of whether they could afford to pay. Nonetheless De La Salle and his Brothers succeeded in creating a network of quality schools throughout France that featured instruction in the vernacular, students grouped according to ability and achievement, integration of religious instruction with secular subjects, well-prepared teachers with a sense of vocation and mission, and the involvement of parents. In addition, De La Salle pioneered in programs for training lay teachers, Sunday courses for working young men, and one of the first institutions in France for the care of delinquents. Worn out by austerities and exhausting labors, he died at Saint Yon near Rouen early on Good Friday, only weeks before his sixty-eighth birthday.

I really believe, as did St. la Salle, that education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Our missional activities need to be followed by solid and lasting forms of education that empower people, giving them the tools to break out of the oppressive cycle and into the cycle of life-giving discovery.

Should I take a year off to volunteer before going to seminary?

Many forward thinking, justice-minded people ask this question as they begin considering seminary for their future. The benefits of volunteering are many: There are benefits to the less fortunate who depend on the generosity of individuals and of charitable agencies. There are benefits to society when people are clothed, fed, housed, educated, and given medical care. And, of course, there are benefits to the volunteer … benefits that are not often realized going in. And, when a person gets to seminary with a year of volunteering under his or her belt, the practical applications of theology become much more alive and present.

On the other hand, there are certainly benefits to taking some theological education into the world of service. Scriptural, pastoral, and theological knowledge can provide deep insight for a person’s career as a volunteer, deepening a person’s faith, challenging their mind, expanding their heart, and energizing them for mission.

At PLTS, we honor both of those callings and make it easy for to you accomplish both. If you begin a degree program at PLTS and take a year off to volunteer, you can return to your degree program a year later without penalty and without loss of credits.

Your future, your calling, and your options are unique to you. Be in touch with one of our Admissions Counselors to begin a conversation on discerning what will work best for you.

Northwest House of Theological Studies

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to spend time with a group of students at the Northwest House of Theological Studies in Salem, Oregon. This is an ecumenical community that meets on Friday evenings and Saturdays for theological study. Many of them eventually transfer to PLTS to complete and MDiv. My colleague Liza and I joined the group for worship on Saturday morning and then facilitated a discussion on the Lutheran understanding of the Eucharist. What a wonderful group of people! These were mostly second career students and include a lawyer, a law professor, a teacher, a lay minister, and people from many other professions. They were Lutheran, Episcopalian, Methodist, Presbyterian, UCC, and others. It was a wonderful way to spend the morning and a great reminder of the many, many paths that people take to public ministry!

Presidential Listening Post

A couple of years ago, the PLTS faculty completely revamped the MDiv program curriculum. They did so by spending time listening . . . listening to alumni, pastors, bishops, laity, congregational leaders, and others who have ideas about "who our pastors should be." The listening resulted in an invitation from the PLTS faculty (see http://www.plts.edu/academics/invitation.html for details).

Since then, we have taken this process of listening more and more seriously. President Phyllis Anderson, joined by the president of Luther Seminary, have been traveling around the country hosting "listening posts" in congregations. This weekend, I joined them at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Portland (served by PLTS alumna Pr. Kit Neeley) for a listening post. It was so interesting to hear the input of local pastors and laity toward these questions: What does the church need in future leaders? What can the seminaries do to be a resource to you? What kind of leader will your congregation need in order to thrive?