The Value of In-Person Training 

The Value of In-Person Training

Theological education and preparation for ministry, like ministry itself, is intensely personal and deeply communal. This personal and communal approach leads to a robust education and a well-rounded preparation for a lifetime of service. Getting ready to serve Christ, his kingdom, and his church means more than outstanding classroom lectures – as important as they are – it means developing deep personal relationships with faculty mentors and other students. We believe that the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the church created by the Word, are worthy of pastors and leaders educated in this personal approach to Reformed theological education.  

 As you prayerfully weigh and evaluate your educational opportunities, consider the educational values that guide us at WSC: 

• In-person education presents opportunities to engage in thoughtful discussion, debate, and other face-to-face interaction with professors and fellow students that genuinely enhance learning. These interactions occur primarily in the classroom, but also (and importantly) during lecture breaks, after class, during office hours, in spare moments between chapel and the start of class, and in relationships with other students.  

• In a physical classroom setting, professors are able to read verbal and nonverbal student cues. Educational specialists insist that this “feedback loop,” which is almost impossible to develop online, is essential for helping faculty and students work together to clarify concepts, correct misunderstandings, and reinforce learning, and to pursue a subject more deeply. 

• One analogy we often think of compares Reformed theological education to medical school and surgical training. If you required life-saving heart surgery, would you want this delicate procedure performed by a doctor who studied surgery online?  

• In-person students consistently report a higher level of accountability available through in-person education. Perseverance is best pursued not as an isolated individual but in community.  

• There is a wise saying that attitudes and approaches to theology and ministry are caught as well as taught. This is integral in a face-to-face program that cultivates interpersonal education in a structured and profound curriculum. Our programs encourage active participation as an essential part of our academic and spiritual formation.  

Summary

Classroom learning is irreplaceable but educational experiences do not begin and end during scheduled classes. WSC students, alumni, and faculty consider their interactions with one another in the student lounge, the library, local coffee shops, the soccer field, and in each other’s homes, or even at the beach to be among their fondest memories and most formative experiences in seminary. Even more, faculty and students worship together every Lord’s Day and engage each other as brothers and sisters in Christ at the more than 25 local Reformed and Presbyterian churches. In these settings classroom instruction is deepened and put into practice. Students of online programs seldom have opportunity to attend church alongside their professors and walk the Christian life together during the length of their studies.   

Westminster Seminary California remains committed to an in-person educational model in which we learn, live, and love together during a season of preparation for ministry. Seminary education is not an end in itself but lays a foundation for a life of service in Christ’s kingdom. For all it can do, a computer screen cannot replace a person. We hope you will come and study with us in person.