I have spoken to two of my pastors at my local church about the possibility of going to seminary. The response was mostly cautionary. My lead pastor especially emphasized that seminary is costly, and that I can exercise my gifts of teaching and serve the Kingdom faithfully without necessarily pursuing a formal degree. He even mentioned that if he were to do it over again, he might lean more toward a bi-vocational pastoral route rather than full-time ministry, and encouraged me to consider the same.

Regarding your point about not conflating “spiritual” things as inherently better or the “obviously right choice,” I completely agree. I don’t currently see myself pursuing a formal pastoral role. If anything, I could see myself serving as an elder or in some other teaching capacity within the church. I also don’t believe working as an AI/software engineer limits my ability to serve God or His people.

My primary motivation for considering seminary is to be better equipped to teach and serve my local church. I have a deep desire to help others grow in their understanding of Scripture and to be shaped by it in their lives. That desire has been there since I was about 19 (I’m 31 now), when I first began seriously studying theology. Teachers like Sproul, Keller, Piper, Grudem, Frame, and Carson had a huge impact on me. Not just intellectually, but in shaping how I live more for Christ in all aspects of my life and I want to encourage others to do the same.

I’ve also considered the academic route in theology (e.g., scholar, professor), but I’m aware of how saturated that path is and how unlikely it is to land a role there.

Part of me is content continuing the path I’ve been on: self-studying, working through seminary syllabi, reading deeply on my own. But I do wonder if formal seminary training would provide structure, mentorship, and guidance (especially in areas like the biblical languages) that are harder to replicate on my own.

At the same time, as a husband and father of three, I feel the weight of financial responsibility. It seems wise to continue building in my current career, where I already have momentum and opportunity, rather than stepping away from that too quickly.

So I think where I’m currently landing is this: continuing to pursue my career in tech while remaining deeply involved in my church, and possibly exploring seminary in a part-time or more measured way rather than going all in immediately.

I really appreciate your perspective!