Why Every Pastor Needs a Strong Theological Foundation

Before he built the temple or led the people of Israel, King Solomon asked the Lord for wisdom. Augustine asked for time to study Scripture before he taught it to his parishioners. When talking about enduring serving in India, missionary Amy Carmichael reflected on how wisdom and strength are necessary and given by God.

In Scripture and in church history, men and women have taken time to build a solid foundation for themselves before leading God’s people. Today, pastors and ministers need to develop solid theological foundations to lead their people well.

Pastors need a strong theological foundation to prioritize what to preach well. While sometimes it is necessary to address current events, headlines can trick preachers into thinking this is of first importance. However, when preachers spend years laying a theological foundation, they are reminded teaching the Word of God is the first priority. When pastors have a strong theological foundation, they can, and should, engage with headlines from the pulpit, but they can do so with hope, wisdom, and clarity.

Theological Framework Aids In Member Care

A theological foundation is also useful in intimate encounters of member care. When pastors involve themselves in the messiness of marriages, interpersonal relationships, and emotions, knowing the right thing to do, say, or recommend can be intimidating. A theological framework is helpful in these situations. Knowing the doctrines of man, God, sin, and salvation offers something for pastors to lean on as they give answers with hope and certainty.

While some critics say theological education is too scholarly and impractical, pastors benefit from education in their ministry. Theological issues will come up in ministry settings. For example, members of your church may be tempted to listen to the lies of the prosperity gospel.. The theological fidelity of a church starts with the pastor’s own theological foundation.

New members may come from different church backgrounds or no church background. Pastors are often the ones who answer hard theological questions in simple ways. By answering these questions and correcting wrong thinking, pastors can keep the local church orthodox when other forces try to lie to it.

A strong theological education also helps build a pastor’s confidence. When a pastor learns truth from Scripture and sees how the church has defended that truth throughout history, he grows in confidence. He can be sure that the core tenets of Christianity are unshakably true. They must be upheld in any true church and taught to all new believers.

When a pastor preaches from a strong theological foundation and is reassured by the Holy Spirit, he shows he is more than an organizer or the church’s executive director. Instead, he is a pastor-theologian who boasts not in how much he knows but boasts in knowing the Lord (Jer. 9:23–24). Perhaps like Moses, you fear speaking, and wonder if God has really called you. Maybe like Jeremiah, you think your youth could disqualify you. A theological foundation and reassurances from the Holy Spirit help settle a doubting spirit.

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) helps pastors lay their theological foundation. The professors are brilliant leaders in their fields who will lead you in a rich theological education. The degrees at TEDS are thoughtfully made, so every class benefits you in your future ministry.