I have watched an interesting few blog posts last week on this topic. The guy at pomomusings wrote a post on when An MDiv from Princeton Is Not Enough. He is going through the ordination process for the PC(USA). He has moved across the country and his new Presbytery have said he needs MORE courses to qualify for ordination. If you check the comments section he has listed the courses he has taken.
A friend of his, Tony Jones, has responded HERE. I have read Tony’s books and while we are vastly different theologically as well as disagreeing with him on his comments on denominations, I can sympathize with him seeing a friend get caught up in denominational politics.
Now, having seen the courses taken by the guy at pomomusings and based just on that, I would not ordain him. He definitely needs to do Church History and a Biblical Studies / Exegesis course on say Romans or 1 Corinthians or The Gospel of John. HOWEVER, that should NOT be the only consideration. Experience and character are vital too. There are lots of biblically knowledgeable people in ministry who sailed through seminary but they are bad pastors. And I have seen some excellent pastors who have never been to seminary.
The inflexibility of many denominational ordination tracks is a weakness. There needs to be a biblical flexibility – taken from the pastoral epistles, which allow for the character, calling and gifting of a person above whether he simply has certain credits.
Luke Fourteen Thirty Three 