Ministerial Training Institute of the OPC - Catalog

Please click on the appropriate link below to navigate the MTIOPC catalog, or click here for a PDF version of the catalog (requires Adobe reader).

Director's Introduction
What is the MTIOPC?
Admission
Course Offerings
Course Logistics
Course Descriptions
Sequence of Course Offerings
Policies
Expenses
Seminary Credit for MTIOPC Courses
Personnel
Testimonials

Director's Introduction

The Sixty-fifth General Assembly (1998) approved a plan for the Subcommittee on Ministerial Training (SMT) of the Committee on Christian Education to establish a Ministerial Training Institute of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (MTIOPC). The SMT stated that the purpose of the MTIOPC was to assist in maintaining and enhancing the quality of ministerial service in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, especially pastoral and missionary, by helping men to prepare for informed and effective ministry that conforms to the standard of Holy Scripture. To this end, the Institute shall advance a constructive view of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and its doctrine, government, discipline, and worship.

Since the establishment of the MTIOPC in 1998 with this stated purpose in mind, nine different courses of instruction, taught by experienced OP pastors and elders, have been offered. Over one hundred pastors, elders, licentiates, and men under care have been enrolled in MTIOPC courses. Intensive training sessions have been held in Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, California, and Florida.

The SMT’s desire is to continue to develop this vital ministry of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. This Catalog provides important information for those interested in enrolling in the MTIOPC course of instruction.

Sincerely in Christ,

Danny E. Olinger
Director of the MTIOPC
and CCE General Secretary

Table of Contents

What is the MTIOPC?

An Institute, Not a Seminary
The MTIOPC is an institute, not a seminary. It does not come close to offering a full seminary curriculum. Our goal is to offer instruction in five key areas: (1) the Westminster standards, (2) Presbyterian church polity, particularly as embodied in the OPC, (3) the history, character, and distinguishing characteristics of the OPC, (4) practical theology, and (5) presuppositional apologetics. Some seminaries do an acceptable job of teaching some of these subjects that are essential for preparing men for effective, biblical ministry in the OPC, but we believe that no one seminary covers all of them well.

An Institute, Not a Location
The MTIOPC does not have a campus. It serves men who are preparing for, or are currently in, ministry across the whole country.

A Church Institute, Not a Parachurch Organization
The Institute is answerable to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church through the General Assembly and its Committee on Christian Education (CCE). The Assembly can direct the Institute to take certain actions or to refrain from others. The six members of the CCE’s Subcommittee on Ministerial Training (SMT), which serves as the Institute’s board of directors, are elected directly by the Assembly. The SMT is responsible for appointing a director, an administrator, and the teachers of the Institute.

Presbyterian, Not Hierarchical
In the OPC, as in Presbyterianism generally, the presbytery is the church judicatory that is primarily responsible for the admission of men into the gospel ministry. The presbytery takes men under care, examines men for licensure and ordination, oversees a minister’s life and doctrine, and is the court of original jurisdiction over him. We by no means intend to weaken these roles of the presbyteries. Rather, we want the Institute to strengthen them. We hope that presbyteries will interact with the Institute and will encourage their men under care to take advantage of it.

Where Is the Institute Going?
• An OPC Identity, Not Isolationism
As we offer instruction to ministerial candidates, there is a danger of becoming ingrown. That would be contrary to the Reformed ecumenical spirit and history of the OPC. The distinguishing commitments of the OPC are not a parochial possession, but are fundamental to the struggles of the whole church of Jesus Christ in the contemporary world. Preserving a knowledge of our history and of its relevance to today’s ecclesiastical scene will be a service not only to the OPC but also to the whole body of Christ.

• Scholar-Preachers, Not Shallow Preachers
Presbyterianism envisions that her preachers should also be scholars. Her scholar-preachers should be equipped to open the treasures of the Word of God to the people of God. The instruction offered in the MTIOPC should therefore not be “safe.” We should not try to keep our ministerial candidates from being exposed to ideas that are foreign to our church and confession. Rather, we should want them to be exposed to the alternatives, and to be prepared to teach and defend our confession and polity from the Word of God. This means that the Institute’s level of instruction must equal or even exceed that of seminary training.

• Pastors, Not Hired Men
But scholarship and education are not ends in themselves. The Institute must also prepare men to love and serve the OPC as pastors, shepherding the flock of God. Like Christ, they must be prepared to lay down their lives for the flock. Another part of OPC history worth remembering—and we trust that it is cherished in heaven—is the many sacrifices made by our early ministers and missionaries. Some of them lived from hand to mouth, enduring a voluntary poverty and exile in order to minister in the OPC. They went out without knowing whither they went, having been privileged not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for him. It is our hope that the teachers in the Institute will model that kind of spirit to their students.

• A Journey, Not a Destination
The Institute will not be a resting place. It is an experiment in ministerial training. Over the next few years, the SMT will learn much about offering instruction to ministerial candidates. We will learn more precisely what they need and whether we can help them effectively. And through our seminary visitation program, we will learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of the seminaries.
—James S. Gidley
Dr. Gidley is a ruling elder at Grace OPC in Sewickley, Pa., and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Ministerial Training.

Table of Contents

Admission

Men who are under care, licentiates, ministers, and elders of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church may apply for admission to the MTIOPC. Also, ministers and men in training for the ministry from other ecclesiastical bodies may apply to the MTIOPC.
For further information or admission materials, please contact:

Table of Contents

Course Offerings

The MTIOPC offers a core set of courses that focuses on the determined needs of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The MTIOPC does not offer degrees. Rather, a student may take any or all of the courses offered by the MTIOPC. It is recommended that men seek the counsel of their local session and presbytery in determining which courses might be most helpful to their ministry.

MTIOPC courses are designed to equal or exceed seminary-level courses. As such, they will be academically rigorous and require considerable effort on the part of the student. Grades are assigned for student performance.

Table of Contents

Course Logistics

The MTIOPC offers courses through a combination of Internet and face-to-face interaction. Prior to the start of the semester, students will be sent a syllabus outlining the purpose and goals of the course, required and recommended readings, and assignments. Throughout the semester, faculty and students will correspond via e-mail. Completed assignments will be sent to faculty by e-mail, and faculty will respond by e-mail. Through the use of a listserv, students will be able to interact with each other to pose questions, share ideas, and present responses to assignments. Thus, a virtual classroom is established, although not in real time.

At the end of the semester, there will be an intensive training session, held in a predetermined location. It will provide an opportunity for students and faculty to meet face-to-face for discussion, testing (where appropriate), and bringing closure to the course. Attendance is required.
The sites planned for intensive training are as follows:
Spring 2007 Semester (May or June 2007)—Willow Grove, PA.
Fall 2007 Semester (January 2008)—Florida.
Spring 2008 Semester (May or June 2008)—Chicago area and Franklin Square, NY

Table of Contents

Course Descriptions

The MTIOPC courses and their continuing education credits are:

Covenant Nurture (Catechetics) (1 credit)
This course will deal with the why, what, and how of “teaching them to observe whatsoever [Christ has] commanded.” Catechetical instruction will be featured, but Christian education broadly considered, both in the home and in the church, will be in view. Included will be the history of catechesis and the place of Reformed creeds in such, the questions of paedocommunion and communicant membership, and various types of covenant nurture. Priority of responsibility (home or church?), pedagogical/classroom modeling and discipline, and Christian schooling (institutional and home) will not be omitted. Other topics treated will include Sunday school, VBS, youth work, seminars, Bible studies, retreats, and the church library.

Defending the Faith (Presuppositional Apologetics) (2 credits)
The purpose of this course is to provide a thorough introduction to presuppositional apologetics, and to highlight its importance in the theological encyclopedia and the life of the church. The first half of the course is an introduction to presuppositional apologetics. Topics include the history of apologetics, the nature of presuppositional apologetics, and the relationship between presuppositional apologetics and Scripture, the person of God, preredemptive revelation, the doctrine of the Fall, the covenant of grace—Jesus Christ, and the doctrine of the church.
The second half of the course deals with presuppositional apologetics and the marketplace. Topics include Cornelius Van Til and the theistic proofs for God’s existence, the problem of evil, criticisms of miracles from a scientific worldview, religious-mystical experience, psychology, and postmodernism. The course concludes with a discussion of why presuppositional apologetics is so important to the future of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

Ecclesiology (2 Credits)
The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with the biblical and historical foundations of Presbyterian church government and the consequent principles and practice by which the body of Christ should be understood and shepherded. A well-informed and biblical ecclesiology equips a minister with competency for his conduct in the church, and it prepares him for the theological challenges and controversies which often confront him in the area of ecclesiology.
Furthermore, those who have Reformed convictions about the church are increasingly challenged by the modern Zeitgeist of American evangelicalism and its thorough saturation with the parachurch agenda. Orthodox Presbyterian ministers and elders who live in such an age must be prepared to articulate the conviction that “there is no ordinary possibility of salvation” outside of the visible church (Conf. 25.2). And they must give a thoughtful and winsome defense of the church’s rightful claim to ordain “stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor. 4:1) and to exercise the “keys of the kingdom” (Matt. 16:19) as the “pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15).

Homiletics (2 credits)
The purpose of the Homiletics course is to serve as a practicum that will supplement standard seminary homiletics programs. The practicum will provide instruction, discussion, models, and experience in preaching that is both pastoral and sensitive to the standards of preaching that have historically marked Presbyterian and Reformed churches. Special attention will be given to these standards as presented in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church’s Form of Government and Directory for the Public Worship of God. The course will offer the equivalent of a two-semester seminary homiletics class in a combination of preparatory work, an intensive training program over a long weekend, and follow-up. Class size is limited to four students. Preference will be given to pastors and licentiates.

OPC History (1 credit)
An examination of the history, character, and distinguishing commitments of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The first part of the course will explore the historical setting of the church through a survey of American Presbyterianism from colonial times to 1936 and the events surrounding the formation of the OPC. The class will then study the emerging ethos of the OPC as it has been shaped by the struggles it has experienced. Attention will also be given to the church’s relationship with American evangelicalism and those churches with which the OPC stands in ecclesiastical fellowship. Through the process of reviewing different interpretations of OPC history, students will be expected to articulate and defend their understanding of the identity of the OPC.

Pastoral Theology (2 credits)
This course combines personal reading, intensive training, and actual exposure to church life in an Orthodox Presbyterian congregation. The goal of the class is to help students develop a truly biblical approach to the pastoral office and its various responsibilities. Subjects to be covered include: the minister in relation to himself, the minister in relation to his family, the minister and his session, shepherding, ruling, miscellaneous duties, and the minister in the presbytery and general assembly. The intensive training period will include workshops with the church session and board of deacons. This class will be most beneficial for men who are on the threshold of pastoral ministry or for those who have recently entered the pastorate as ordained ministers. Class size is limited to six students.

Presbyterian Polity and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (2 credits)
This course gives special attention to the theory and practice of Presbyterianism as it finds expression in the Form of Government and Book of Discipline of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The course may be used to prepare officer candidates for ordination or admission to the OPC or to enhance the skills and understanding of those already serving in the church. Other topics that will assist participation in the governing assemblies of the church (e.g., Roberts Rules) are also discussed. Some applied exercises in the area of church discipline are used to help students think through the challenges faced in this difficult area of ministry.

Reformed Worship (1 credit)
The purpose of this course is to equip the student (1) to grasp the principles and ethos of biblically Reformed worship embodied in the OPC’s Directory for Public Worship (DPW), (2) to plan and conduct public worship services in a manner that consciously expresses that ethos, and (3) to evaluate contemporary pressures on pastors in light of those principles. Students will survey principial aspects of public worship. A careful reading of the DPW will be augmented by selected readings that introduce the biblical, theological, and historical roots of the provisions of the Directory and which argue differing sides of debated issues. Topics covered will include the Lord’s Day, the significance of public worship, the regulative principle of worship, the elements of worship, the “dialogue” of worship, order and flow in public worship, leadership in public worship, song in public worship, admission to and administration of the sacraments, ordinations and installations, weddings, and funerals. Intensive training sessions will focus on the practice of planning and conducting public worship, both Lord’s Day worship and special occasions such as ordinations and installations, weddings, and funerals.

The Westminster Standards (2 credits)
The purpose of this course is to enable the student to get a clear understanding of the rich heritage of the Reformation faith. The course offers a detailed analysis of the contents of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). The relationship between the WCF and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms is discussed. The goal is for the student to know the system of doctrine formulated in the WCF and the two catechisms, and to be able to subscribe to these standards with integrity. The method used includes reading of assigned materials, review of specific commentaries on these standards, and study of a detailed syllabus that reduces the doctrines of the Confession to a series of clear propositions. Special attention will be given to the OPC’s form of subscription to the Westminster standards.

Table of Contents

Sequence of Course Offerings

Fall 2007
• OPC History, Presbyterian Polity, and the Westminster Standards
• Intensive Training in Florida., January 2008

Spring 2008
• Defending the Faith, Pastoral Theology, Ecclesiology and Reformed Worship
• Intensive Training in Chicago area and Fanklin Square, NY., May or June 2008

Fall 2008
• Covenant Nurture, Presbyterian Polity, and the Westminster Standards
• Intensive Training at a location yet to be determined

Spring 2009
• Ecclesiology and Homiletics
• Intensive Training at a location yet to be determined

Table of Contents

Policies

Grading System

Incomplete
With the approval of the professor and the Director, a student may receive an incomplete for a course. Items required for course completion must be filed with the Director prior to the authorizing of an incomplete grade. The student has until the end of the next semester to complete this course.

Withdrawal
A student desiring to withdraw from a course must do so before the end of the second month of the semester. A withdrawal will not be accepted after that date. To withdraw, a student must complete a withdrawal form and submit the form to the Administrator.

Pass/Fail
In the first two weeks of class, a student may receive the approval of the professor to take the course on a pass/fail basis. It is expected that the student seeking the pass/fail option will fulfill all syllabus requirements, including attending the intensive training.

Attendance at the Intensive Training Session
Because the intensive training session is an integral part of the course, attendance is required. Students who do not attend the session will receive a failing grade for the course.

Table of Contents

Expenses

The MTIOPC provides tuition-free courses for men under care, licentiates, and pastors in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Elders in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church are charged $50.00 per course. Men outside of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church are charged $100 per course. All students are required to pay a $50 per course registration fee. This fee is refunded upon successful completion of the course.

Students are required to purchase certain texts and materials for courses. Except for those materials provided free of charge by the Orthodox Presbyterian Church to men under care, students must assume the cost of class materials.

Travel arrangements for the intensive training week are the student’s responsibility. Students may apply for a travel scholarship to help defray some of the cost of travel. In addition, the MTIOPC will provide food and housing during the intensive training week.

Students are encouraged to work with their local sessions and presbyteries to fulfill the financial obligations of the MTIOPC course.

Table of Contents

Seminary Credit for MTIOPC Courses

The MTIOPC is working closely with Reformed seminaries to determine the availability of academic credit at those seminaries for MTIOPC courses. So far, the following seminaries have agreed to grant credit for MTIOPC courses:

Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Mid-America Reformed Seminary
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia)

Table of Contents

Personnel

Administration

Members of the Subcommittee on Ministerial Training:
Dr. James S. Gidley, Chair
Rev. John P. Galbraith
Mr. John R. Muether
Rev. William Shishko
Rev. Thomas E. Tyson
Mr. David Winslow, Jr.
Rev. Danny E. Olinger, ex officio

Director: Rev. Danny E. Olinger
Administrator: Dr. James H. Thomas, Jr.

Faculty

William David Dennison
Education: Geneva College, B.A.; Westminster Theological Seminary, M.Div., Th.M.; Michigan State University, Ph.D.
Ordination: Presbytery of the South, OPC, 1995
Present position: Associate professor of interdisciplinary studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Ga.

Stuart Randall Jones
Education: University of Nebraska at Omaha, B.A.; Westminster Theological Seminary, M.Div.
Ordination: Presbytery of New York and New England, OPC, 1977
Present position: Pastor of First OPC in Baltimore, Md.

George W. Knight
Education: B.A. Davidson College, 1953; B.D. Westminster Theological Seminary, 1956; Th.M Westminster Theological Seminary, 1957; Th.D. Free University of Amsterdam, 1968.
Ordination: Presbytery of New Jersey, 1961
Present Position: Adjunct Professor of New Testament at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Greenville, Sc.

John Robert Muether
Education: Gordon College, B.A.; Westminster Theological Seminary, M.A.R.
Ordination: Ruling elder at Lake Sherwood OPC in Orlando, Fla., 1991
Present position: Librarian and associate professor of church history at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Fla.; historian for the OPC

William Shishko
Education: Bob Jones University, B.A., M.A.; Westminster Theological Seminary, M.Div.
Ordination: Southeast Presbytery, RPCES, 1979; received by the Presbytery of New York and New England, OPC, 1981
Present position: Pastor at Franklin Square OPC in Franklin Square, N.Y.

A. Craig Troxel
Education: Anderson College, B.A.; Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, M.A.T.S.; Westminster Theological Seminary, Ph.D.
Ordination: Presbytery of Philadelphia, 1995
Present position: Pastor at Calvary OPC in Glenside, Pa.; lecturer in systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia)

Thomas Earl Tyson
Education: Wheaton College, B.A.; Westminster Theological Seminary, B.D.
Ordination: Presbytery of Ohio, OPC, 1960
Present position: Regional home missionary for the Presbytery of Philadelphia

James Peter Vosteen
Education: College of Wooster, B.A.; Westminster Theological Seminary, B.D., M.Div.
Ordination: Presbytery of Albany, UPCNA, 1956; received by the Classis Minnesota North, CRC, 1959; received by the Presbytery of the Northwest, OPC, 1994
Present position: Pastor of Lynnwood OPC in Lynnwood, Wash.

Larry Edward Wilson
Education: Pinebrook Junior College, A.A.; Geneva College, B.A.; Westminster Theological Seminary, M.Div.
Ordination: Presbytery of the Midwest, OPC, 1981
Present position: Pastor at Christ Covenant OPC in Indianapolis, Ind.

Table of Contents

Testimonials

For many ministers in the OPC, the faith once handed down to the saints was in skeletal form, true but incomplete. Biblical Presbyterianism is the purest form of our biblical faith, yet some of the more important doctrines and practices were not adequately taught in our previous training. This is particularly true in the areas of ecclesiology, polity, and worship. Are these mere traditions of men, or are they founded upon the apostles’ doctrine? What the MTIOPC does is to teach biblical and historic Presbyterianism to a new generation of OP pastors and elders. Through the MTIOPC, I have learned what other generations took for granted.
—Pat Malone
Pastor, Nutley, N.J.

Seminary studies and internships are valuable, but they do not fully prepare a man for ministry in the OPC. Where does he learn about our form of government, denominational distinctives, and history? This is where the MTIOPC is indispensable.
I have found the teachers not only to be competent in their field, but to sincerely love the church and her future leaders. The fact that the classes are similar to correspondence courses makes them easy to fit into a hectic schedule. The week of intensive study is far more refreshing than it is intense.
In almost every field, continuing education is expected of those who would do well. Why not pastors? MTIOPC is for established pastors, too. Even the best tools need sharpening once in a while.
—Eric Watkins
Pastor, Oviedo, Fla.

I simply cannot express what a great joy it was (and is) for me to take these classes, which have served to deepen my appreciation for the Reformed faith as well as the beauty of Presbyterianism. The men under whom I “sat” are profoundly knowledgeable in the areas assigned to them to teach. Interacting weekly with Stu Jones opened up a whole new world of the intricacies and nuances of Presbyterian polity. Reading stalwarts such as Hodge, Witherow, and Smyth was tremendously helpful. Exercises, such as writing bylaws for a local congregation, were eminently practical. Roughly six weeks after the class began, I found myself having to write bylaws for our church as part of the process of bringing it into the OPC—it was no longer a purely academic exercise.
—Mark Melton
Pastor, Sheridan, Ind.

It was a wonderful experience for four of us from the same congregation, Bethel Reformed Presbyterian Church in Fredericksburg, to learn together at MTIOPC. Bill Dennison’s assignments on the apologetics of Cornelius Van Til challenged us to work together, and gave us many opportunities to discuss the material. Dr. Dennison’s lectures brought out even more discussions and we already see ways in which this time together is preparing us to serve the church better. Our thanks to the Committee on Christian Education for providing this great opportunity and to Dr. Dennison for making this such a valuable experience.
—Steve Doe
Pastor, Fredericksburg, Va.

Coming from a dispensational background and education, MTIOPC has been more than helpful to me. Apologetics, Ecclesiology, and OPC History have been just a few of the classes that have served to correct or have filled in the gaps of my previous training.
—John Hunt
Pastor, Albuquerque, N.M.

Table of Contents