Are seminarians who are attending an accredited seminary are they exempt from attending the monthly Board of Examiners sessions?

-- Anonymous, March 08, 2005

Answers

I'm a seminarian in the New England Annual Conference in the 1st. We have monthly Ministerial Institute Sessions where we take classes. Seminarians are only exempt from attending those classes that they have already taken in seminary. Once a year, we have Board of Examiners meeting before Annual Conference. Every minister on the ordination track, whether in seminary or not, must attend that meeting. I hope that helps.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2005

Parson Maynard -

So, do I conclude that even if you or a colleague is enrolled in the Harvard, Yale or Princeton School of Divinity such matriculation does not exempt you from Board of Examiners sessions? QED

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2005

Bill some seminarians are just too far away from their conference to attend monthly meetings, plus their is the cost of airfare.

In addition if you are in a M.Div program you are required to take field education. Most of the things covered at the board of examiners is gone over in field ed and in supervision with the senior pastor.

Bill in seminary, you are getting old testament, new testament classes, preaching classes, business administration, counseling classess, church history.

One of the things I would like to see happen in seminary is to have an A.M.E. polity and doctrine class. The other denominations i.e. united methodist, presbyterian, lutheran etc. Have these classes which gives the history of the denomination, rules and regulation.

By the way Danielle is attending Graduate Theological Union, a consortium of 9 seminaries in berkeley and working. It would cost her $360.00 to $400.00 a month to fly to seattle.

This is a tremendous burdon to put on seminarians who are paying for their own education.

Our seminarians need support financially and emotionally.

By the way Bill, you and Jennie are expected at Danielle's graduation;-)

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2005

Prof. Dickens, I am a student at Harvard Divinity School, and I have to attend Ministerial Institute. Exemptions are only made on a case by case, class by class basis.

Rev. Rogers is correct in that distance can be prohibitive. Those members who are part of the New England Annual Conference who attend seminary out of New England are exempt from Institute. However, here, they have split the institute into the Northern End and the Southern End. The northern end contains all those ministers from Boston to Providence, and the institute meets in Boston. The southern end contains all churches in Connecticut, and they meet in Connecticut.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2005

Rev. Maynard, it is good to hear from you! My daughter is exempt from meetings.

By the way who is the chaplain at Harvard Divinity. I think he spoke at my graduation from Princeton seminary 13 years ago.

By the way Bill was a Harvard fellow;-)

Congratulations on your admittance to Harvard!!!!!

Dr. Cecelia Bryant 5th district episcopal supervisor is an alum of Harvard.

Please keep posting.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2005

Thanks for your warm welcome, Rev. Rogers.

Our chaplain at the Divinity School, Rev. Claudia Highbaugh, is on sabbatical, and we have an interim. I think you may be referring to Rev. Peter Gomes, who is the chaplain of the entire university.

-- Anonymous, March 13, 2005

You are right! It was Rev. Peter Gomes. What a wonderful man. Thank you for sharing his name.

-- Anonymous, March 13, 2005

I am in the 5th Episcopal District and have earned my MDiv Degree. In our conference, those that are attending or have completed seminary have the option of taking a polity test at the end of each conference year instead of attending the monthly class sessions.

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2005