Theology in the Raw S2 Ep1016: #1016 - Rethinking Church-Based Theological Education: Drs. Branson Parler and Jeff Fisher
Oct 13, 2022
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Irrigation Model For Church Education
- The Foundry reframes theological education from a selective pipeline into an irrigation hose that waters leaders at every level.
- Branson explains this model supplies ongoing, accessible training for volunteers, elders, youth workers, and pastors outside costly seminary tracks.
Run Seminary Style Classes At Churches
- Partner with local churches to deliver seminary-quality classes packaged as adult education, meeting biweekly with ministry-focused assignments.
- Branson describes classes that meet three hours every other Thursday and emphasize applied ministry outcomes over academic papers.
Start With Present Ministry Needs
- Grounding curriculum in present pastoral needs (e.g., sexuality, gender, cultural stories) yields more immediately useful teaching than abstract linguistic debates.
- The Foundry's first class was Contemporary Cultural Stories aimed at equipping ministers for real-world encounters.