What Role Do Seminaries Play in the Global Missions Effort?

Cultivating Love for the Nations

The New Testament tells us that the Lord wants men who are trained for the work that they're called to do. Trained to open his word, trained in languages, trained in preaching and teaching, and that they've exercised those gifts well. That's as true in the United States as it is anywhere else in the world, so seminaries play a critical role in the effort of global evangelism, fulfilling the Great Commission, mission work because they play an important role in training ministers anywhere in the world. Those commands — to have trained ministers who rightly handle the word of Truth and thus are approved workers for God — those commands are universal commands. So, what seminaries do in training men for gospel ministry is important wherever those men end up serving.

There's another answer though as well which is that seminaries, because they are institutions that serve the church, can play a role in broadcasting and cultivating this love for the nations, this need for for men to be sent and men to go. In as much as we are serving the church by broadcasting that mission I think seminaries can play a vital role in, as it were, publicizing the need that's there as well as training men to meet that need.