Thinking About Higher Education in Theology? Some Advice For Academically-Minded Pastors

A student recently finishing her master's program for a pastoral degree was assigned the task of interviewing a Pentecostal scholar for a presentation about pastors and higher education, and she chose me (trust me, no one was more shocked than me).

Although I'm no expert pastor or scholar, one thing I can offer is having my feet somewhat firmly placed in both worlds over the last two decades.

So I thought I'd post the interview questions and answers here in case helpful for any pastors who are also navigating both worlds.

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1. Can you share about how you first felt God's calling and how it has evolved over the years?

Within just a few months after being saved (after a fairly radical conversion experience in high school), I pretty much knew this was what I was going to do with my life. From the very beginning I felt a call to teach and lead.

The call has remained steady for 25 years with some discernment over the years wrestling between my pastoral and academic callings and interests, and which one to fully pursue.

2. What motivated you to pursue higher education in theology?

In a word: calling. I simply felt called to equip myself as much as possible so I could do well what I felt God calling me to do.

I don’t think every pastor needs to attain higher education (and I’ve hired several pastors at our church without formal education) but I believe God was calling me to use the gifts God gave me in terms of research and writing.

I’m also a highly motivated person and probably never would have stopped until I reached the highest qualifications possible!

3. What challenges did you face while working towards your doctorate, and how did you navigate or resolve them?

Lots, and most of the usual suspects such as:

1) Time. I was pastoring (full-time) a growing church the entire 7 years I worked on my doctorate as well as a growing family. My main solution was setting aside one day each week (usually my day off on Fridays) to work on my dissertation in order to always keep momentum going. Then in addition I’d block off large chunks of time (using my vacation or study days) and go at it 8 hours a day for weeks at a time. I also used pretty much every holiday to work on it.

2) Money. Still don’t know how I did this, but the Lord was faithful to provide. But it meant not having much money for anything else in life.

Motivation was probably less of challenge for me than most as I never really lost a passion for what I was working on over the seven years.

Lastly, I prayed almost every single day over the course of my doctorate that the Lord would help me and that what I was doing would bear fruit for the Kingdom. God loves being involved in the academic journey!

4. In a recent class with this professor, our final involved identifying 3 issues and proposing solutions for them. What issues do you consider to be the most pressing, and what solutions would you suggest?

I assume you mean in the church here. My answers are likely pretty standard:

1) Mental health. So much of pastoral ministry is caring for or dealing with people’s mental health issues.

2) Technology. People tend to be more influenced by their scrolling than the church.

Another would be charitable giving which has been dropping in churches for a while now.

5. How do you think furthering one's education influences pastoral and leadership decisions?

I always say I use my education every single day in pastoral ministry. It is the primary place I was formed and shaped as a person and I’m grateful for it every day.

It’s not so much about the information, but the formation one undergoes as a person.

Also, the ability to quickly learn to research, organize information, write, and present something in a coherent fashion is such an important skill that will bless people.

Also, the investment in education saves me tons of time each week. I’m able to write messages or research topics in very short amounts of time because of the foundation and framework that already exists. This frees me up to spend time in other areas of pastoral leadership rather than spending the entire week working on a message or teaching.

6. If all pastors could get one thing to help them pastor their congregations, what would you suggest?

Education. I know it’s not for everyone, but again it’s the primary way I was formed as a pastor. Being around other people for years who are also pursuing similar goals or who have already worked in ministry is such a rewarding experience.

7. How can pastors effectively address cultural and social issues while maintaining their Pentecostal identity?

I would restate this and say addressing cultural and social issues is a part of our Pentecostal identity. We can’t do one without the other. For more see my recent article "Not Just a Personal Pentecost: The Spirit's Call to Social Action". (or view or download PDF HERE)

8. What tensions have you observed between pastors actively serving in the field and those who are more academically focused? How are you managing the tensions between the church and academia? 

It’s a delicate dance. The church is not academia and you can’t approach it as such. I believe the “secret” is using your knowledge and education in a way that people don’t even realize that you are, but they can sense the depth.

I don’t overly try to impress people with my education. Many people in the church don’t know I have a doctorate or a lot of education, but they do know there’s a depth to our teaching that is unique. But the depth is not communicated in overly academic language that is meant to impress. The sign of a quality education is being able to use and take very complex ideas and translate them for people in a way that makes sense.

I may read some heady academic material or consult original languages in my preparation, but the hard work comes in then translating that for the everyday church member.

9. What gives you hope for the future of the Assemblies of God?

Although originally ordained in the AG in 2009, I’ve been a part of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada since shortly after that in 2009. But I believe Pentecostalism in general is positioned well for what is a spiritually hungry generation with its emphasis on real-time encounter with God through the Spirit.

10. You recently published "The Gender Paradox." Can you share a brief overview or elevator pitch for it?

Basically that there’s tremendous uncertainty, hesitancy, or inconsistency about the place of women in Pentecostal circles, and a clear and consistent theological vision for gender equality in the church needs to be communicated. If not, we will remain stuck in the paradox where women experience both freedom and limitations when it comes to exercising their God-given callings.

I believe that theological vision is an eschatological one, and when applied it overcomes the theological ambiguity that surrounds the issue.

Obviously I have way more to say about this!

11. What plans do you have for the future?

Keep being faithful in a local church context. Hopefully continue to write and present at conferences. I have a book proposal out there, and recently did two presentations at SPS in March and have a proposal for another in 2027. Eventually I’d like to write a more accessible version of The Gender Paradox.

12. Who are your top 5 favorite Pentecostal authors?

1. Wolfgang Vondey

2. Cheryl Bridges Johns

3. Martin Mittelstadt

4. Daniela Augustine

5. Amos Yong

6. Lisa Stephenson

13. Top 5 books you'd recommend for Pentecostal pastors?

Mine, of course! Haha. Besides that:

I’m not sitting in front of my library, so off the top of my head, and of course depends on the pastor’s education:

1. Wolfgang Vondey, Pentecostal Theology

2. One of the edited volumes of an overview on women in Pentecostalism such as Johns and Stephenson Grieving, Brooding, and Transformation: The Spirit, The Bible, and Gender or English de Alminana and Olena, Women in Pentecostal and Charismatic Ministry

3. An overview of Amos Yong’s work such as Vondey and Mittelstadt’s Theology of Amos Yong or Christopher Stephenson’s Reader on Yong.

4. Something by Eugene Peterson on pastoral ministry

5. Reading Luke-Acts in the Pentecostal Tradition by Mittelstadt or Stronstad’s Charismatic Theology of St. Luke