I laughed out loud when my pastor said, “You should stay at Southern and do a PhD.” I was a second-year MDiv student at Southern Seminary on a Christmas break visit to my home church in Georgia, meeting with my pastor to discuss post-seminary possibilities.
I laughed out loud at the very thought of his proposal. I went to seminary in my early 30s after working for several years as a newspaper journalist. A master’s degree was one thing, but a doctorate degree was quite another. I was hoping to serve as the lead pastor in a local church. You don’t need a PhD for that, I thought. Plus, at 36, the biological clock of ministry seemed to be tick, tick, ticking onward.
Fast-forward a few months, and not only had I warmed to the idea, but a PhD from SBTS in church history was starting to become a bit of a dream. I applied, was accepted, and the adventure began. Five years later, I graduated with a PhD in church history from Southern Seminary, one of the monumental days of my life.
That was 2008. In the years since, the degree has served me well. I pastored two local churches for nearly 15 years. I have taught church history, theology, and ministry classes at five colleges and seminaries, including Southern Seminary and Boyce College. Today, I teach at both North Greenville and Anderson universities, and I serve as president of The Baptist Courier and Publishing Company in Greenville, S.C. Additionally, I have continued to deploy the journalism and writing career God gave me pre-ministry in the form of books and articles on church history, theology, Bible, and ministry. The training I received from the PhD built a strong theological and methodological foundation under each of these ministry pursuits.
Was it worth the massive load of work required to complete coursework and then write a (300-plus page) dissertation? Yes, it certainly was worth all that went into it. My PhD studies came on the heels of my MDiv and began in 2003, ending with graduation in 2008. During that time, my wife and I welcomed our four children into the family, and I worked full-time at SBTS and served several professors as a grader. I won’t sugar-coat it: all of it together was a heavy load. It stretched me in more ways than I was aware of at the time, all of it enriching. I’m grateful to the Lord that he saw me through it to the end, and reflecting back, it was the most joyous stretch of study in my lifetime.
Why was it worth it? Many reasons come to mind, but for the sake of not mimicking my dissertation length, here are three.
1. It equipped me broadly
My focus was church history/historical theology with a minor in systematic theology. While that seems narrow, I had to develop the discipline of meeting deadlines, completing hundreds of pages of weekly reading, participating in discussions and debates in colloquium, and ensuring my work was done with all the excellence I could muster every week.
Each of those pursuits, though narrowly focused on history and theology, prepared me well to study for weekly sermons, discuss difficult issues with patience and care with church members, and meet the vital deadlines that arrive relentlessly in local church service. Participating for four-plus years in focused study also disciplined my mind for the rigorous study of Scripture that teaching and preaching in a local church require.
2. It equipped me narrowly
Tom Nettles, my PhD supervisor and dear friend, taught me well how to do the work of a church historian. I once heard Pulitzer-winning historian David McCullough say a true historian enjoys picking through and reading somebody else’s mail. Indeed, it turned out to be true, much to my delight (Remember, I was once a newspaper reporter, a vocation that requires its practitioner to possess a high level of nosiness).
Through the expert training from Tom and other SBTS historians (and now friends) such as Michael Haykin and Greg Wills, I learned how to research the past patiently, interpret the sources carefully, and communicate my findings compellingly. Researching and writing history have also helped focus my preaching and teaching to cut the unnecessary fat and present my thoughts in a careful, coherent manner. The PhD required strict discipline and focus. Ministry, done faithfully to the glory of God, does as well.
3. It equipped me perpetually
As a professor and a pastor, I want to teach my students how to hunt big game for themselves—for the rest of their lives. Obviously, no amount of education teaches a person everything they need (or desire) to know about any subject.
A good education equips one to dig and continue to learn and grow in a given field or in various fields over a lifetime. My professors did just that: They taught me how to research, think, study, argue, conclude, and communicate; they showed me how to do all that faithfully and tirelessly until the Lord concludes the ministry he’s given me in his way and timing.
I’d do it again
I’ve been asked several times by students, by colleagues, even by my wife and children, “Would you do it again?” I don’t hesitate to answer in the affirmative. I laughed at my pastor all those years ago at the suggestion, but I’m glad the Lord moved my heart and mind to take it seriously and forge ahead on that path. He has used it fruitfully in both my life and ministry, and I hope above all, for his great renown.
To learn more and explore Southern Seminary’s doctoral degrees, visit sbts.edu/doctoral