truthseeker

.

Thanks for your insight Jimmy, I do realize that road of academia is paved with disappointment and tears so I am not going into this blind. I have applied to a top MTS program, and I got in with decent funding, so I hope that if I do my best work I can graduate tops and pursue a Ph.D. However, I also feel that even if I don't end up pursuing a Ph.D there is sufficient enough reason for me to complete an MTS. I won't bore you with those reasons, but my point is that I'm not going into this thinking "Top Ph.D. Program or Bust"

Thanks Body Politics for your response. I do understand that (depending on the context) attempting to be a full time Pastor and Professor could be too much (although I had a number of undergrad profs who pulled it off.) That wouldn't be my plan, when I mentioned "preach on the weekends", I was referring to a ministerial position where a church needed the pulpit filled, and not necessarily being the sole Pastor on staff. Many churches are now dividing up the responsibilities of the Pastorate, so my "dream" would be in the context where I was limited to a "Teaching Pastor" role. I'm not looking for a definitive answer on this, just if any of you have experience with someone leaving a ministry position to pursue a Graduate Degree. I'm struggling with this decision as I feel like I'm taking a step or two backwards to take a step forward in a couple of years time. I want to be a good steward of what God has given me and my family. You asked about calling, and I do feel called. My sense of it is that I am called to use my gifts to further the Kingdom, and right now I am trying to discern how best to do that.

I need some help/advice. I am 34 years of age, married, two small children and currently I Pastor a small church. I graduated from undergrad with a Biblical Studies degree, and then went back and got my Masters in Counseling (completed in 2007). I always felt like I'd go back (some day) and get a second (Theological) Masters to make myself eligible for a Ph.D. I would really like to teach at some point, not to mention that I believe that I really would really like the academic rigor of the Ph.D pursuit. My dream would be to teach during the week and preach on the weekends. Here is my problem. The demands of being a small church Pastor are immense. I cannot imagine doing another master's degree with my current schedule/responsiblities, let alone a Ph.D. There is a decent MTS program in my current city, but it would probably take me 4-5 years to complete, and I would not be able to produce my best work. I don't believe in that situation I would get accepted into any of the Ph.D programs I would want to. So, just to see what would happen, I applied to a top tier MTS program (out of state) this winter, and I got in. Today I found out that they are going to fund me 60% (now this is feeling real). I know that no one can answer this question for me, but would I be crazy to quit my job at the church to pursue this? My wife has a professional job where she could work almost anywhere. We have family in the area we'd be moving to, so that would be nice bonus as we have lived apart from family for the last 10 years. I am a bit worried about leaving the church (known quantity) and moving into being a full time student again at 34 (unknown quantity). Any advice, experience or prayers would be much appreciated.