Where Is Theological Education Heading? Flexible Faithfulness

Since the release of the annual report of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), I’ve been reflecting on the present state and future prospects of theological education. I noted three trends in theological education, along with some observations about why some schools are growing more quickly than others.

One critical-yet-frequently-overlooked trait of growing seminaries is that they tend to combine flexible delivery methods with a missionally oriented approach to education, i.e., one shaped by the actual ministry needs of the students. Let’s explore this further.

Flexible modes of delivery

It’s no secret that seminaries (and all schools) provide education in drastically different ways than they used to. Online education is booming, and growing seminaries often have significant online enrollment.

The explosion of online education (over the last fifteen years, especially) is one of the most significant shifts in the history of education, not to mention seminary training. To what extent a program is online (and which programs) varies widely. Some provide fully online programs while others offer hybrid options. Many provide online coursework paired with intensives, regional learning hubs, or modular cohort programs, like Biola’s new Talbot Embedded initiative. These approaches allow students to remain embedded in ministry while receiving theological training.

Online education presents a host of opportunities and challenges. Many students who apply for fully online programs find that relationships with fellow students and faculty develop much more slowly than for those in other formats. For example, students in hybrid programs can have intensives or other in-person meetings to aid in relational cohesion and enrichment of the learning experience.

But whatever a school’s approach to online education, one thing is clear: Online education is not going away any time soon. And with the growing influence of artificial intelligence on the learning process, schools will need to continue to prioritize innovation in this area while retaining academic rigor.

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Leaning into the moment

The decline of some schools has been accelerated by resistance to online education. Leaders of these schools explain that when faculty have been resistant and slow to adapt—even when students wanted to market the online option—the decline came quickly. Simply put, online education has been the growth engine for most schools, and almost all growing schools have such programs.

As a long-time SBC “insider,” my mind goes to their large network of seminaries as an example. Some SBC seminary leaders vehemently said they would never do online education. (It’s not hard to find these statements online). Such modes of education were sometimes considered deficient for the kind of serious training ministry leaders need. But after seeing the market shift, the need to pivot became clear to many of these leaders.

And to their credit, they did pivot—and have seen tremendous growth in many cases! Midwestern even announced an online PhD. (I look forward to speaking with Midwestern’s President Jason Allen about their remarkable growth in our upcoming series on the future of higher education.) Observe, for instance, the ten-year growth pattern for the largest schools.

With all of that said, there’s a danger here that needs to be named. When we try to make a program cheap, fast, and accessible by any means necessary, we’ve entered a “race to the bottom.” Accessibility is good. Affordability is good. But if the only competitive advantage a school offers is convenience, the school has lost its way.

Formation requires more than information transfer. The seminaries that are growing through online delivery are doing so because they’ve figured out how to maintain relational depth, mentoring, and spiritual formation even in a digital environment. Those that treat online as merely a cost-saving measure will eventually find themselves in trouble.

From credentialing to equipping

But online learning isn’t the only change in flexible offerings. Instead of focusing primarily on ministry credentialing, many seminaries emphasize equipping students for ministry, even where those students don’t have a vocational ministry objective. Instead of come get a degree so you can be ordained, growing seminaries invite prospective students to come be equipped for leadership and ministry in the mission of God.

That missional framing resonates with church planters, missionaries, marketplace leaders, bivocational pastors, and local church lay persons who are simply looking to deepen their knowledge of the faith. It also explains the growth of programs in areas such as ministry leadership, counseling, apologetics, church planting, and spiritual formation. Training pastors remains a key part of the seminary’s role, but these varied programs often reach a broader range of students than just future pastors.

Does theological education still matter? Dr. Albert Mohler makes the case on Logos Live.

To meet these needs, seminaries have launched non-formal educational pathways, such as certificate programs and on-demand learning. These provide students opportunities for development, even when a full degree isn’t desired.

These changes tend to be led by visionary leaders who meet the moment. Rather than merely maintaining inherited structures, these leaders demonstrate a willingness to stretch boundaries and consider possibilities. They think missionally and act entrepreneurially. From experimenting with new programs to pursuing creative partnerships, they’re reimagining how theological education can best serve the church in the present moment. And—whether training pastors for the Great Commission, equipping church planters, recovering historic Christian theology, or preparing Christian leaders for cultural engagement—they tell stories that draw students in.

Such innovation is essential where many academic institutions may otherwise struggle. Those who prioritize meeting the moment, though, will likely find fruit.

The added benefit is often a broader vision that theological education is for everyone, not just those preparing for vocational ministry. That vision shapes recruitment, marketing, donor engagement, and institutional strategy.

The purpose of theological education

Keeping an institution’s mission front and center catalyzes its leadership, positioning them to help churches grow in effectiveness. (For example, our Talbot Lead the Way tour has encouraged thousands and shown how Talbot can be a resource for those looking to dig even deeper.) When the purpose of theological education is equipping rather than mere credentialing, educational institutions can pursue flexible faithfulness rather than rigid patterns from a previous era.

We need to meet the moment, yet the moment we’re in doesn’t change the mission we’re on.

At Talbot, for instance, we’re trying to balance the best of flexible, missionally oriented approaches to education with robust, time-tested, traditional forms. And it seems to be working, as Talbot is the fastest-growing seminary in terms of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) enrollment among similar institutions.¹

Keeping the “why” front and center helps schools remain rooted in the things that should never change, while adapting when needed. We need to meet the moment, yet the moment we’re in doesn’t change the mission we’re on.

Conclusion

There are plenty of things to be concerned about in the current state of theological education, but there are plenty of hopeful things happening, too. Many of those hopeful things are found in schools remaining faithful to the gospel and the mission, while also leaning into the future.

We’re seeing it’s possible to lead well while also providing educational excellence. We don’t need to race to the bottom of high-convenience, low-cost, and (too often) lower-value options. Instead, we can remain both faithful and fruitful, trusting God and stewarding what he has entrusted to us.

Related content

• 3 Pivotal Trends in Theological Education: The 2026 ATS Report
• Why Some Seminaries Grow While Others Don’t: 3 Key Traits
• The Importance of Theological Education | Albert Mohler
• 3 Ways This Seminary Embeds Its Core Values in Daily Life
• Developing a Teaching Philosophy: A Guide for Theological Educators

Resources for further reflection