Equipped to Serve: How Seminary Strengthens You for Ministry
Equipping disciples for ministry
God has entrusted you with gifts to build up his church—and he uses seminary to strengthen those gifts. Whether you’re attending seminary or considering its benefits, Equipped to Serve explains why seminary remains indispensable for those called to serve the church. Seminary can uniquely grow your knowledge and nurture your character. Each chapter of Equipped to Serve showcases how different areas of study come together to prepare you for well-rounded ministry. Every course matters, whether biblical studies, preaching and counseling, missions, or spiritual formation. And recognizing these benefits will help you get the most out of your education.
Praise for Equipped to Serve
Seminaries are the seedbed from which long-term, healthy ministry can grow. Equipped to Serve makes the case for investing years of preparation for decades of service—a price worth paying as you consider a lifetime of kingdom leadership.
—Jeff Iorg, president, SBC Executive Committee, and former president, Gateway Seminary, Ontario, California
R. Scott Pace and Jonathan Six remind us that seminaries are more than academic institutions; they are Great Commission training grounds that prepare leaders to make an eternal impact.
—Shane Pruitt, director, National Next Gen, North American Mission Board
This is a splendid collection of essays on the indispensable role of education in the life of the church and the ways in which seminaries can step in to provide essential tools for pastors and church leaders. Much wisdom here—compassion and conviction, the theoretical and the practical, passion and maturity.
—Trevin Wax, vice president of resources and marketing, North American Mission Board (NAMB); visiting professor at Cedarville University, Ohio; and author of The Thrill of Orthodoxy, This Is Our Time, and Gospel Centered Teaching
Equipped to Serve resonated strongly with me because, as Pace and Six argue, ‘Theological education is ministry preparation.’ I highly commend their valuable work to help this generation of students maximize the opportunity to prepare for an effective ministry.
—Paul Chitwood, president, International Mission Board (IMB)
- Why Theological Education for Ministry Preparation
- Consider Your Calling
- Christian Theology for Ministry Preparation
- Biblical Studies for Ministry Preparation
- Bible Exposition for Ministry Preparation
- Philosophy for Ministry Preparation
- Church History for Ministry Preparation
- Pastoral Leadership for Ministry Preparation
- Counseling for Ministry Preparation
- Missions for Ministry Preparation
- Spiritual Formation and Prayer for Ministry Preparation
- Church Partnerships for Ministry Preparation
- A Personal Reflection
- Title: Equipped to Serve: How Seminary Strengthens You for Ministry
- Editors: R. Scott Pace and Jonathan D. Six
- Publisher: Lexham Press
- Publication Date: 2025
- Pages: 216
- Format: Logos Digital, Paperback
- Trim Size: 5x8
- ISBN: 9781683598824
R. Scott Pace is provost, dean of graduate studies, and professor of preaching and pastoral ministry at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina.
Jonathan D. Six is vice president for institutional advancement at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina.