Poll: Relationship Between University and Local Churches

[Charles W Christian]

This is my first shot at posting a poll. If I mess it up, I'll try again....

Basically, I would like to get a gauge on perceptions regarding our Naz schools.....

Thoughts??

Thanks,
Charles

[Ryan Scott]

I answered "other," basically because I haven't seen any attempt to do intentional theological education in local congregations. If anything, more learning is done by unintentional means. I think the Colleges do a good job of trying to put structure and cohesion to what people pick up along the way.

[Wilson L. Deaton]

Basically, I would like to get a gauge on perceptions regarding our Naz schools.....

Thoughts??


Paradoxically, I think they are "adversarial" but in a good way!!!

The colleges/universities help the church to stretch, adapt, and grow, whereas without such influence the local churches would stagnate theologically.

Thought changes and evolves... The schools teach a certain thing a certain way then the students go out and begin preaching/teaching it.... Twenty years later they are still preaching/teaching it and their kids go off to college/university and hear the newest thoughts...

Hypothetical/semi-true examples of what I mean:

A Nazarene teen in the 70s was taught Pre-millenial at church and got to college where they had some professors with other ideas...

Our college students in 70s/80s were taught ES as currrently expressed in Article 10 with focus on the process and now tend to teach it that in their churches. Then their church kids go off to to our colleges and are exposed to relatonal holiness....

In the 80s at NTS pastors were taught church growth and Evangelism Explosion. They teach their congregations that is how evangelism should be done. Then the kids go to college and learn about relational evangelism and disciple making...

Wilson

[Sara Sheppard]

I had to mark "other". I would say TNU helped "fix" the messed up theology I learned in the tiny nazarene churches I attended in childhood. In other words, at college, I found out that being a Christian was NOT about keeping a list of rules and acting like a prude. It was in fact about a RELATIONSHIP with the creator and loving others. The list doesn't hurt but it certainly isn't the be all/end all.

I learned that worship doesn't have to be like a funeral either. WOO HOO

Sara

[Anne and Dwayne Hood]

I don't know much about most of out schools, I had what the theology students were learning and dsicussing on my mind. That was sort of the impression I got, by the way you ask the question.
But, as Sara mentioned, I feel like Trevecca is a very good school. Dwayne got a good education there--also our son. He attended three years and then transfered to MTSU.

I am partial to it, with it being our zone school. Also, my sister taught there 21 years.
I have a niece and nephew that attended there, and are ordained elders, one being a missionary in Madagascar.

The way you used theology caused me to think of the discussions on Naznet. If you had said, doctrine, I would have undertood it better.
Of course, I had more nieces and nephew that graduated from TNU, also.

[Dave McClung]

This is my first shot at posting a poll. If I mess it up, I'll try again....

Basically, I would like to get a gauge on perceptions regarding our Naz schools.....

Thoughts??

Thanks,
Charles

I also clicked on "other" for several different reasons. One of them being that the relationship between local churchs and our schools differs on different regions. One answer wouldn't be correct for all of the schools.

[Charles W Christian]

I also clicked on "other" for several different reasons. One of them being that the relationship between local churchs and our schools differs on different regions. One answer wouldn't be correct for all of the schools.




Dave -
This is interesting to me. I've only live in NNU and SNU ed. zones, so that's my line of sight other than hearsay. I have three degrees, but none of them are from Naz schools, although I've adjuncted at a couple of Naz schools and have friends teaching at nearly all them.

I actually had no secret agenda in mind in putting up the poll; I was simply curious. In that vein, do you have more specific reflections regarding relationships regionally?

Thanks,
Charles