Gaylin Schmeling, STM, Nashotah House
Gaylin R. Schmeling
President, Professor of Dogmatics, Homiletics and Church History
Phone: 507-344-7855
E-Mail: gschmeli@blc.edu
Education:
B.S. -Elementary Education-Dr. Martin Luther College, New Ulm, MN, 1973
M.Div. -Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary, Mankato, MN, 1978
S.T.M. -History of Dogma-Nashotah House Seminary, Nashotah, WI, 1993
Nashotah House offers a variety of degree and certificate programs aimed at training clergy and lay leaders for ministries in the Church:
Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree
Transfer Students
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)
Field Education
Teaching Parishes Program and Cross-cultural Ministry Experience
Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.) degree
Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) degree
Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree
Master of Arts in Ministry (M.A.) degree
Certificate in Anglican Studies
Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) The Master of Sacred Theology program is an advanced degree, beyond the M.Div., intended primarily as continuing education for those who are already ordained. The STM is an interdisciplinary degree in Anglican Studies with two separate tracks. Applicants must select a thesis option or a non-thesis option. To be considered for acceptance into the STM program, applicants must hold the first professional theological degree (B.D., M.Div., or the equivalent) from an accredited seminary or university.
The Thesis Track is intended for persons contemplating an academic career and provides an opportunity to test such a vocation before making a commitment to a doctoral program. The thesis track requires a minimum residency of three (3) Petertide terms in the summer STM program. (The Petertide term is generally the month of July.)
The Non-Thesis Track offers opportunity to candidates for extending and deepening theological understanding in the light of their pastoral experience; it is generally considered to be a terminal degree. The non-thesis track requires a minimum residency of three (3) Petertide terms. The curriculum for this track includes a minimum of twenty-four (24) credit hours, at least half of which must be in the 200 - 299 series. The actual course of studies is planned by candidates in consultation with their faculty advisor.
In lieu of a thesis, the Faculty appoints primary and secondary examiners from the faculty who arrange a two-hour oral comprehensive examination with the student. The exam will cover the courses taken for the STM program.
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GJ - To earn an STM at Nashotah, the scholar must spend three whole months in residency. That seems to be a bit tougher than Fuller Seminary, where Larry Olson earned his DMin. From what Larry confessed in Christian News, he only had to drive by the campus in Pasadena and wave to Don McGavran from his rented bike.
Gone are the days when the Little Sect on the Prairie was led by scholars with earned doctorates. Ylvisaker wrote a classic Lutheran study of the Gospels. Jack Preus, who taught at Bethany, earned a doctorate in Latin and translated orthodox Lutheran books. B. W. Teigen did his doctoral coursework at U. Minnesota, but the ELS treated him like dirt for agreeing with the Book of Concord. Teigen should have gone to Fuller or Nashotah. Those are the schools where confessional Lutherans are hatched. Many schools offer drive-by degrees. Study as little as possible for the shortest possible time, pay for tuition, and voila, a graduate degree. A master's degree today usually involved two years of study or one year of residency plus a master's thesis.
Pope John the Malefactor has no advanced training at all. In fact, at Bethany he was hired to teach New Testament on the basis of not graduating from college. To be fair, he finally earned a college degree. The Little Schoolhouse on the Prairie can boast: "All our faculty members must have high school diplomas to receive a call, and we encourage them to graduate from college as well."
Martin Chemnitz was required to earn a doctorate to become a superintendent (bishop).
