Welcome to the MiT Diaries! MiT in UK Baptist terminology means ‘Minister in Training’ after this I become a NAM – Newly Accredited Minister, and finally a FAM – Fully Accredited Minister, and hopefully not a DAM which is a structure designed to hold reservoir water in place. Anyway these diaries will hopefully be a place for me to share some of my ministry training and the thoughts that are going through my head. Hopefully that will be vaguely interesting! So without further ado…
As part of my training I have had to study New Testament Greek at an introductory level. I passed, but it was difficult. One of the things I am not naturally gifted at is learning languages. I have a reasonable memory, but for some reason it doesn’t compute other languages very well.
On top of that I have been thrust back into a land of strange and awkward language often called ‘Christianese’. I’m aware that the issue of Christian jargon has been debated for a long time. At the same time, in the UK at least, churches and training colleges are becoming more and more missional in focus. ‘Missional communities’ are replacing small groups and ‘cell groups.’ With this focus on mission you may think that communication was key, that it should be clear and understandable. But it seems that with this focus a new level of words and jargon have been dumped on top of the old. I mean take the term missional community – what is this going to mean to someone outside the church?
Ultimately that is my issue. The language we use should not be a barrier to people coming to Jesus. If people can’t understand us, if they shrug their shoulders and walk off instead of engaging because of our communication then we have simply created another barrier.
All four gospels tell the story of Jesus’ temple tantrum, when upon entering the Gentiles’ court he flips out and flips tables. The big question is why? Why does gentle Jesus meek and mild suddenly go on an Ikea murdering spree? I’d always been told that he was upset at the market traders and that meant we shouldn’t sell things on church property. I remember, even as a child, finding that answer so unsatisfactory. As I have studied and looked at this passage I have realised that what gets Jesus so angry is not the market itself, but the impact it has on the people. The market isn’t set up in the Jewish court, or even the court for women, but in the Gentiles’ court – the only place that the Gentiles could come and worship God. These market stalls were a barrier for the Gentiles to worship God. And Jesus gets rid of them, mere days before he will act to remove all barriers on the cross. Ephesians 2 tells us that Jesus stood in the gap to make Jews and Gentiles one, to break down all barriers and become our peace.
If this sounds unlikely to you look back at one of the passages Jesus quotes. He says that they have made this place a den of robbers, when it was meant to be a house of prayer. The house of prayer comes from Isaiah 56. Just look at these incredible verses:
‘6 And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it,
and hold fast my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.’
Wow. A house of prayer for all peoples. If our language, if the Christian language and culture we immerse ourselves in is a barrier to those who don’t know Jesus yet, then maybe it’s time to tear down the walls.
Ebs and Flows... 
Ken W said:
Nick, I strongly dislike the word ‘missional’. It seems only fairly recently to have
entered the Christian vocabulary, and now it dominates much of the writing, preaching, and general terminology of Christians. I agree, it would be totally meaningless to a non Christian. How can we develop language on specialist topics that everyone can readily understand? Eugene Peterson seems to have done pretty well in ‘the Message’!!. Maybe this will be part of your brief in converting/translating
Christian terminology to something understandable by the man in the street.
Incidently, I didn’t do too well at Greek.
Grandad
Nick said:
Yes. Various terms tend to become trendy to the point of meaninglessness. I’d suggest we do as the NT did and start with the common language.
Wally Fry said:
This should be a fascinating journey!
In the Baptist work I am part of, the American Baptist Association(Missionary Baptists)
there are no formal requirements whatsoever. When God calls a man to preach, He may preach, and even pastor a church. Of course, formal training is much encouraged, and normally a church won’t ordain a complete neophyte. But nothing is technically required formally to preach and pastor in our work.
Nick said:
Yeah technically anyone can be recognised but they still have a process to go through!
Wally Fry said:
Oh yes indeed, growth is needed for any preacher. Our outlook is different than some I suppose.
David said:
You need to update the ‘About Nick’ bit that goes at the bottom of the blog, Nick!
Nick said:
DONE.
Anthony Baker said:
I think it’s also worth investigating the differences in Baptist understandings of autonomy. Autonomy is one of the key differences between Baptists and other denominations of the Christian faith. Yet, compare the pastoral pre-requisites for Baptists in America with those in England and you will find stark differences. I’m not saying either are wrong, just different. I think what Nick is having to go through would be similar to the unwritten requirement by most mid to larger SBC churches that their pastors have an M.Div. (which is what I’m now going to pursue). Am I mistaken, Nick?
Nick said:
Well, someone can be ordained as a Baptist Minister without the training, it happened at my old church, you can also choose to be recognised regionally rather than nationally, which requires less study, a lot less from the look of things. Whatever route you take you need your sending church’s backing, and to go through a regional recognition committee. I’m not to sure what the American requirement is though!
I will come out with as a nationally recognised minister meaning I can apply to be the minister anywhere in the country.
Anthony Baker said:
Interesting. Now, let me describe the American experience.
Baptists in America are completely autonomous in belief and practice. Southern Baptists (of which I am) are part of a convention of churches, but we do not allow any control over local congregations by any ecclesiastical body. SBC churches collectively contribute to local, state-wide, and national conventions by choice. From those monies our associations do mission work of all kinds and several superb colleges and seminaries.
No Baptist pastor is required to acquire any kind of certification. It is completely up to each congregation to determine their own set of prerequisites before hiring a pastor.
Ordination is only a legal requirement when it comes to performing weddings, etc. Ordination is not a requirement to preach or pastor, either. However, few Baptist churches will hire a pastor that is not ordained.
Ordination does not require any education. Ordination is something done by a sending congregation, and the form in which that is done is also up to the individual church. There are no set standards.
Now, if one had the desire to pastor an SBC church of any size (100 and up), that man should expect higher expectations from the search committee. Most SBC churches these days require a seminary degree from an accredited school, preferably a Baptist seminary. The larger churches will most likely require the pastor to have earned an M.Div., or even a doctorate. But again, all is subject to the desires of the individual congregation.
Obviously, freedom is the key in all this. Typically American. I support it completely, even though it has certain disadvantages, the least of which being continuity.
Nick said:
Yeah I should have said that this recognition is part of the Baptist Union which not all Baptist churches are a part of and they more advise on most matters. Decisions are still up to the local membership ultimately. For example I would not have been trained if a local church membership had not approved me. So to speak!
snowgood said:
Having dropped in at a friend’s “church” on Sunday I was staggered by the lack of contemporary language used in the service – even though these folk can communicate in English outside of their little church building.
I trust you’ll go on to make more useful discoveries as you study Greek.
Sometimes an old version of the Bible can convey a fresh insight into an old truth.
I stumbled across this whilst sitting in my 1960s time warp service.
My children, these things I write to you in order that ye may not sin; and if any one sin, we have a patron with the Father, Jesus Christ [the] righteous; 1 John 2:1
I love the idea of Jesus being my patron.
Nick said:
I’ve got nothing against the language per say just the use of it inappropriately. At my placement we use the 1662 common book of prayer and I find some of it rich and inspiring, but I wouldn’t crack it out in a family service!!!