Dr. Bruce Ashford of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary continues his
series, “On the Dangers of Seminary,” with perhaps the best installment yet, “The Danger of Allowing Seminary to Replace Church.” This series is featured on SEBTS’s Between the Times blog.  The first post can be read here and the second here.

In this third post, Dr. Ashford tells a personal story about how he and friend, J. D. Greear, used to go on preaching trips together back in their seminary days.  His point is basically that they did so at the expense of regular, faithful attendance at their own local churches.  Here are a few of Dr. Ashford’s most poignant words.  They are great and sobering words of caution concerning involvement in the local church.

Now this is only one of the many stories I could tell of those years. There are funny ones, such as the one above, and serious ones, about the victories of the gospel. But there is one type of story I cannot tell: the story of deep relationships formed in the church of which I was a covenanted member…

If we want to come to unity in the faith, know Christ, mature spiritually, learn sound doctrine, and speak the truth in love, God’s intention is that we do so within the covenanted community…

As a young man I would have been wise to devote significantly more time to my church, being discipled by men older than I, learning practice my gifts in relationship with the body, and growing up “in all things into Him, who is the head, Christ” (Eph 4:15-16).

I missed out on teaching, fellowship, worship, and service. In fact, I visited Capitol Hill Baptist Church during this time, and spent a week there with some friends. I will never forget meeting Mark Dever, informing him of my ministry, and then realizing that not only was he not impressed, but he seemed to feel sorry for me. When he asked me in which ways I was involved in ministering to my own church, I had no answer.

I testify to this from personal experience, and offer some advice to students: If you neglect your calling to God’s church, you will hurt yourself, your church, and the future ministry to which Christ is calling you.

Read the article in its entirety here.
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