Why My Seminary Degree Became As Relevant As My Engineering Degree
STEM and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) are popular acronyms used in today’s educational system. The terms indicate an increasing focus on preparing students for careers in specific disciplines. The popularity of this focus deems my engineering degree very valuable. While I learned many valuable skills from my engineering degree, over time I have come to recognize the value of my less popular degree: a Master’s of Divinity.
My seminary training helped me gain relevant interpersonal skills I use every day as a professional. They are not often attributed to seminary studies, but are definitely part of the intended package. Here are some of the skills I developed as a result of seminary studies.
Communication
I can speak in front of customers and clients because I learned to teach and preach the Bible in front of dozens and hundreds of people, respectively. This involves me conveying a message people understand, answering counseling questions, facilitating conversations for peer learning, and teaching a church to practice what Jesus preached.
Integrity
I’ve learned to stay humble and curious about the way the world works and my purpose in it. This is consistent with the lifestyle that the Bible promotes. Although I fail at times because I am not perfect, I still work to live faithfully for the good of others and in service to God. Upright character can be appreciated in any industry, but I am uniquely held accountable since biblical leadership qualifications require it.
Diligence
In one semester’s preaching class, I had to pick seven passages of the Bible to be the subject of seven papers and sermons. The 25-page research papers covered the background context and exegesis of the original language from which the text came. I then preached from the manuscript I created based on the research to classmates and seasoned preachers with doctorate degrees. Because of the demand and scrutiny of the process, the diligence that went into those 30-minute sermons prepared me to appreciate the role of research a bit differently from the dozens of technical engineering papers I wrote during my bachelor’s degree.
Community
Like anyone in an organization, I play a role in my church, my neighborhood and in my larger community. This includes leading a pre-school through high school ministry, teaching Bible studies on topics like gratitude, and counseling people formally and informally. I also have friends. This means people know and depend on me for various reasons and I likewise depend on them.
Leadership
The heart for people is not something every leader has. In my case, the people are the organization; they are the ones served. In business, the customer, client, employee or even contractor are all people to be served in some way. Directing people toward communal goals can prove profitable in many ways, and I do that without the title of “Chief People Officer.”
My seminary degree became as relevant as my engineering degree as soon as I started using it. Have you ever needed someone to convey complicated messages? Is having good character part of your hiring requirements? I depend on the skills I have developed since my seminary training and others depend on my skills too.
Errorr!