nother exceptionally helpful post from R Scott Clark can be found on his Heidelblog. The title is “A Word to Students in the Midst of Controversy,” and the content is excellent. He writes of the situation at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, but his insights will be helpful anywhere. Well worth a read for any theological student!
One helpful excerpt:
Students often develop a particularly intense relationship with those faculty members who who teach the Scriptures directly… Because of the special bond that exists between seminary students and their biblical studies faculty one might expect that student reaction to the board’s decision might be particularly intense… let me urge upon WTS/P students (and students in other institutions) some caution. Over the years many students have said to me “Well I heard….” and then have proceeded to announce as fact things that we completely contrary to fact. The falsehood of the reports, however, did not prevent them from spreading among the students. Sometimes these reports can be quite damaging both to the students and to the institutions where they study and to the persons involved in whatever controversy exists. The reality is, in situations such as these, that it is virtually impossible for students to know as much as they think they know.
He also gives a helpful (presbyterian) analogy to the church discipline that lies in the future of many students at theological college:
There is a good analogy for this situation: the church discipline process in the local congregation. Some of the students at WTS/P will one day be pastors. They will sit in session (consistory) and presbytery (classis) meetings where matters of church discipline will come before them. As pastors they will likely counsel with folk who, sadly, will reject their counsel and persist in sin and rebellion requiring the session (consistory) to begin disciplinary proceedings. The congregation may or may not know what is happening and things may look very different in the pew than they do in the session (consistory) meeting. There will be particulars that members of session (consistory) know that members of the congregation will never and should never know. Some members of the congregation may even regard the session (consistory) with suspicion for bringing “such a fine member of our congregation” under discipline. As a minister you will know a different story but you won’t be able to explain. You must simply stand there and “take it.” That member may never regard you the same way again and there’s nothing you can do about it. Your duty to Christ is greater than your reputation. Welcome to the ministry.
