Broad range of Sioux Falls professionals praise seminary education

April 14, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by Sioux Falls Seminary.

Picture the sort of occupation that typically involves a seminary education.

Does it look like the owner of a digital financial media company? What about the leader of a real estate team?

At Sioux Falls Seminary, the real-world, relevant approach to learning means that these and other professionals are finding a graduate education that speaks to them – including when their work never involves a place of worship.

“A common myth about seminaries is that only people wanting to be pastors and missionaries pursue seminary degrees,” said Matt Paulson, founder of financial media company MarketBeat, who took his first class at Sioux Falls Seminary in 2010 and graduated three years later.

Actually, more than half of those entering the Kairos Project at Sioux Falls Seminary, a guided learning journey without the traditional constraints of in-classroom time and structured courses of study, have no intention of pursuing full-time ministry after graduation.

“Seminary is for pastors and missionaries, but it is also for business, community and church leaders that want to become better leaders to those around them,” Paulson said. “Pursuing a seminary degree can be as much of a professional and leadership development process as any other graduate degree might be.”

Individual journeys

Tyler Goff, leader of real estate team Tyler Goff Group, began pursuing his Master of Divinity in the fall of 2015 and graduated in the spring of 2020.

“I chose Sioux Falls Seminary because they offered the Kairos Project, which allowed me to pursue my degree at my own pace,” he said.

“I wanted to go to seminary to further my understanding of the Bible and Christianity as a whole.”

He has made lifelong friends through the program, “and it’s given me confidence to live out my faith in a way that I didn’t before,” Goff said. “The thing that stood out the most was how smart and knowledgeable the faculty are.”

For Paulson, it came down to a decision between an MBA program and the Master of Arts in Christian Leadership at Sioux Falls Seminary.

“One of my callings in life is to utilize business expertise and best practices in the context of the local church,” he said.

“At the time, I felt there were many ways to learn business skills outside of academia, but I felt that professional leadership, theology, church history, ethics and public speaking would be best learned in the context of a community of learners. Ultimately, I chose to pursue a degree through Sioux Falls Seminary because of the relationships I had developed with some of their staff members and because I felt the degree would be helpful with leadership both in business and in the church.”

At the time, he was working a full-time job and building his own business on the side, so the structure and support of the program became key.

“I took one or two classes each semester at first but was able to graduate after three years,” he said, adding that one of his most challenging and rewarding assignments involved writing a lengthy statement of faith about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the church and other core tenets of Christian faith.

“It forced me to ask myself what I believe about all of the key questions that the church has been wrestling with for centuries. Should baptism happen at birth or as an adult upon confession of faith? Is Communion a symbolic act or a literal act? What do I think will happen when Christ returns someday,” he said.

“Thinking through these questions helped cement my faith and beliefs. Even today, it helps me offer a reasoned explanation to others about what I believe about God and why I believe it.”

Directly applicable experience

Cindy Hoy, director of spiritual care at Sanford USD Medical Center, graduated from Sioux Falls Seminary in 1994 with a Master of Counseling as well as Master of Divinity and was ordained by the United Church of Christ the following December.

At the time, she was living in Scotland, South Dakota, and had served as a lay youth pastor before getting married.

“My husband, Tom, had heard me dream of going to seminary someday,” she said. “He set up a meeting with the admissions office so that we could discuss possibilities. I chose Sioux Falls Seminary because it was regionally located, and I could commute from Scotland for classes.”

Faculty recognized her gifts for ministry and encouraged her, she said.

“I was accompanied on this journey by several women who were also preparing for ordained ministry in an environment that historically had not supported women in ministry leadership roles,” she added. “Those friendships have endured these many years.”

Using what they learned

Hoy’s degrees have opened up opportunities in her local church, the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society and Sanford Health.

“My understanding of and ability to articulate my call to ministry — as a woman — was strengthened,” she said.

She also now shares her knowledge with a current Kairos Project student in a ministry mentor role. The student works part time as a chaplain while completing the Master of Divinity program at Sioux Falls Seminary.

“The experience is meaningful in that I have the opportunity to guide and shape the student’s progress in his seminary program while mentoring him in his professional role as chaplain,” she said.

“The relationship established during this time is one of lasting impact for me. Journeying alongside someone who is discerning their call to ministry and witnessing that call come to life is incredibly meaningful.”

Many skills and topic areas taught at Sioux Falls Seminary tie directly into Paulson’s leadership at MarketBeat and at his local church, Faith Baptist Fellowship, he said.

“What I learned about discipleship, pastoral care and ethics at Sioux Falls Seminary informs how I lead my team at work and how I interact with people in the community,” he said.

“There are also many instances where my seminary degree directly prepared me to take on specific community projects, such as leading a capital campaign that helped my church launch a second campus on the west side of Sioux Falls — Faith Baptist Fellowship West.”

Goff said his seminary education has made him a more effective leader, “and just given me a better understanding of my overall calling,” he said.

“It’s changed the way I run my business, and it’s completely changed the way I view my job.”

Advice for others

Does this path sound like one you should consider? These graduates shared their advice for future students.

“If you have ever had interest in going deeper in your faith or pursuing a theological degree, you have to check out the Kairos Project at Sioux Fall Seminary,” Goff said. “It’s designed for professionals with busy work and home lives, and gives you the freedom to pursue your education at your own pace. It’s changed my life!”

Students who already are working in ministry settings will find numerous benefits to the program too, Hoy said.

“The Kairos Project enables students to earn their degree in a flexible environment,” she said.

“Students are surrounded by a team of mentors and those who support them financially.”

And thanks to further development of the Kairos Network, it’s easier and more cost-effective than ever to attend seminary, Paulson added.

“Seminary used to mean that you would be a full-time student for three years, would probably take on significant student debt and would likely become a pastor or missionary upon graduation,” he said.

“Today, it is a broad theologically informed educational platform for people in all sorts of settings to become better leaders and more faithful Christians. Students can attend seminary for as little as $300 per month, and the seminary’s flexible learning options allow students to make progress toward their degree at their own pace and using a wide variety of learning methods.”

Are you ready to begin your own seminary journey? Click below to learn more about the advantages of joining the Kairos Project through Sioux Falls Seminary.

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Broad range of Sioux Falls professionals praise seminary education

“A common myth about seminaries is that only people wanting to be pastors and missionaries pursue seminary degrees.” As these area professionals prove, that’s definitely not the case.

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