By Linda Wilkins
Staff Writer
The 2012 “Seminary Day” at Baylor will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Bobo Spiritual Life Center and will feature at least 20 seminaries and divinity schools from around the nation.
The event is meant to provide students with an opportunity to speak with representatives from each of these schools, Dr. Dennis Horton, associate director of ministry guidance and the event’s organizer, said.
“The biggest benefit [Seminary Day] can do for the student is to show them some possible avenues for how they might continue to be equipped for ministry,” Horton said.
Any student is welcome to attend, he said.
At the event, students with an interest in vocational ministry can speak with representatives to learn more about graduate school. Vocational ministry could include social work, urban missions or the traditional positions in the church — such as being a minister, Horton said.
They can learn about the different degree programs offered at the seminaries and divinity schools, the theologies of the schools, the way the classes are organized and the process of applying to the schools, Horton said.
Horton also encouraged students to arrive at the event early, because many of the representatives will be handing out “goodies” such as caps, pens, cups and Frisbees.
Horton graduated from Baylor in 1984 and said if there had been a Seminary Day, it would have been easier for him to compare different seminary schools and decide which one fit him the best.
“The only way that I found out about the seminaries was just to be talking to the professors. They were helpful, but I wasn’t actually talking to representatives and able to compare,” Horton said. “You get a fresh perspective from the representatives.”
Started at Baylor in 1985, the Baptist Seminary Day was a convergence of the six main Southern Baptist seminaries across the nation, Horton said.
Since then, the Seminary Day has expanded to include seminaries and divinity schools from different denominations, teaching styles and variations of theologies.
Dr. Jeter Basden, director of ministry guidance, said he has been involved with Seminary Day since 1989, when he was the associate director of ministry guidance.
He said more graduate school options are offered at the event than students would normally be able to experience on their own.
“I encourage any student who is thinking about ministry as a vocation to stop by and explore,” Basden said. “It is convenient, come and go, and there are no obligations. It’s a great place to learn about future study and preparation for ministry.”
