Challenging the System and Exploring Theological Education Options - 5 May 2023

May 5, 2023

Editorial

Welcome to the latest edition of The Networker. In this newsletter, we explore a range of topics related to spirituality, religion, and the Universal Life Church. Our lead story is a firsthand account from Rev. Kirby Hensley about a confrontation with a draft board during the Vietnam War, in which he defends an unconventional minister. We also share news about the Catholic Church’s decision to close Limbo, a study on the domination of worship music by megachurches, and the decline of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Our resources section includes a discussion on the Gospel of John and insights into various unaccredited and accredited seminary options. Join us as we delve into these fascinating topics and explore different aspects of spirituality and religion.

Kirby’s Comments

The story below is from Rev. Kirby Hensley, as related in “Holy Bible Old and New Testaments and Testament of Today,” published in 1977 and available through the ULC HQ.

"During the Vietnam War, I went to Sacramento, California to help one of my ministers who was having trouble with the draft board. I met the young man on the street corner. He was dressed in a burlap bag, he had long hair and a beard and carried a tall cane. We went together to see the officials at the draft board.

"When we arrived I asked the receptionist if I could speak to the man in charge. She couldn't believe that I was the real Rev. Hensley, and went to get another man. This other man asked me if I was the president of the Universal Life Church, and I said I was and he took the two of us up the stairs to meet one of the biggest men I've ever seen, the head of the Draft Board for the State of California. We were introduced and he asked:

'What can I do for you Rev. Hensley?'

I said, 'Turn this boy loose, he's an ordained minister.'

The man started to get mad and yelled 'He's not a preacher!'

'Well,' I said, 'if he's not a preacher I'm making him one!'

Then I said, 'I want to ask you a question.'

(The army man was mad as fire.)

'What's that?' he said.

I asked him, 'Do you believe that Jesus was a preacher?'

He answered, 'Of course Jesus was a preacher!'

'Well,' I said, 'if you were to sit Jesus down beside that boy they'd look like twin brothers!'

The army man blew up. 'Get the hell out of here!' he yelled.

But isn't that just like the system? Trying to tell us who is a minister and who isn't. I'm sick and tired of it and I'm not going to take it any more!'"

In the News

The Catholic Church can never admit that something it taught for centuries was dumb

Pope Benedict “closed” Limbo and no one complained; what if Pope Francis had done so?

There’s a Reason Every Hit Worship Song Sounds the Same

A new study found that four megachurches have cornered the market on worship music in recent years, churning out hit after hit and dominating the worship charts

PCUSA lost over 100 churches, 53,000 members in 2022: report

Presbyterian Church (USA) lost more than 100 congregations and over 53,000 members in 2022, reflecting the yearslong trend of decline for the mainline Protestant denomination.

Resources

The Gospel of John: Resurrection — Dr. Harold W. Attridge and the Rev. Dr. David L. Bartlett in discussion.

From the Blog

Understanding Universal Life Church Courses

Since the early days of the Universal Life Church (ULC), courses leading to diplomas such as "Doctor of Biblical Studies" and "Science of Understanding Life" have been offered. Rev. Kirby J. Hensley, the founder of the ULC, was an iconoclast who enjoyed topping idols and subverting the established order. Thus the offer of ordination for all, and the specific naming of these religious courses. Those same, original courses are still available through the Universal Life Church headquarters in Modesto. You pay the fee, you take the course, and you collect your diploma. So, how should we understand these courses?

Some Unaccredited Seminary Options

In a previous post I promised to say more about opportunities to attend theological schools that are not accredited. Generally speaking I would advise against this path if you are looking for formal preparation to be a certified chaplain, to pursue an a career in academia, or otherwise need an accredited degree for your professional goals. However, if your focus is on church ministry, parachurch work, nonprofit or social enterprise efforts, or being a Bible/theology teacher in a non-academic setting, then an unaccredited seminary might be right for you. You'll find the hourly rate to be perhaps a third or less of accredited schools. You do have to be more careful, though, as there is no independently verified guarantee of quality.

Community of Christ Seminary

If you're looking for a seminary but obtaining a Master of Divinity (MDiv) is not a priority, you should definitely consider Community of Christ Seminary, part of Graceland University. They have a well-developed Master of Arts in Religion program focused on preparing spiritual leadership.

Take a Look at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities

United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities (UTSTC), located in Minnesota, is ATS accredited and makes it possible for students to study entirely online, or attend in person. Online classes can either be asynchronous, meaning there are no scheduled class times and collaboration is done online through discussion groups and the like, or synchronous. This latter option entails attending classes virtually at scheduled times. For those working 9-5 jobs, synchronous coursework can be tricky. Fortunately, it's possible to do everything asynchronously if that's your reality.