Why I—an Atheist—Became an Ordained Minister

‘Reverend’ is a title of respect, much like ‘Mister’; it does not necessarily imply formal training. In the not so distant past, many ministers had little formal training. For example, Phineas F. Bresee, the principle founder of the Church of the Nazarene (in which I was actively involved for the first 20 years of my life), delivered his first sermon when he was 17 years old and entered the ministry at 18. Since he later used the title of ‘Doctor,’ he apparently received an honorary doctorate in divinity (D.D.) at some point in his life, but he had no formal training.

Today, most ministers earn at least a bachelors degree from a bible college or seminary. A brief search of a range of bible colleges on the internet shows that their curriculum includes an amount of coursework similar to that at public liberal arts colleges and universities, but naturally focuses on the Bible and other ministerial subjects. As with most public liberal arts colleges and universities, lower-division math and sciences course are required as part of the general education (GE) curriculum. However, in some cases, the options for science courses are severely limited and these institutions often lack faculty with extensive education in science. Some ministers also earn advanced degrees in divinity, theology, education, etc. None of these require (and probably do not provide the opportunity for) additional courses in science beyond those required for a bachelors degree.

Having taught a lower-division GE course in biology at a public liberal arts university, I know that it is very general course and, while every attempt is made to teach students the fundamental principles of science in general and biology in particular, it is unreasonable to expect that students in this type of course come away with a complete understanding of the subject matter. The idea is that students will (or at least have the opportunity to) gain enough knowledge in this survey course to be able to understand biological issues presented in the popular media, but I would not expect any student who completed such a course to be able to speak as an authority on the subject. Such an understanding would require more extensive upper-division coursework (e.g., courses in genetics, cellular and molecular biology, biological diversity, chemistry, physics, etc.) and even graduate coursework and training.

Even with this very limited amount of education in (and, hence lacking a fundamental understanding of) science, it is common for ministers to make authoritative statements about science—from astronomy and cosmology, to geology, to biology—and to discuss the merits of specific scientific theories. One merely need to surf the web or sit in one of the many churches in the US to find many examples of ministers making assertions about evolution, paleontology, continental drift, cosmology, reproductive biology, etc. Since they are in a position of authority and respect, people may accept these statements as factual; even more so if the minister has advanced degrees (usually in divinity, theology, education, etc.). However, their religious education does not make the authorities in science and their assertions should be given no more weight than anyone else with limited education in the field.

Since ministers often find it acceptable to make assertions about disciplines that are far from their limited area of study, last week I found a web site where I could obtain a certificate of ordination. I am now a duly ordained minister and could ask people to refer to me as “Reverend” or any other applicable title I choose. With this certificate, I can also legally perform any and all of the services that any other ordained ministers perform (including, but not limited to, weddings and funerals) and/or start my own church, but this wasn’t my intention. I did this largely to make a point: if ministers can feign authority in science, then a scientist—with limited formal training in theology and the ministerial arts—can be a minister. Besides, my degrees in science (B.S, M.A. in Biology, and Ph. D. in Zoology) aside, I also have a bachelors degree in Philosophy, I spent many years actively involved in an evangelical church, I have read and studied the Bible for many years, and I have read extensively about religion (and not just atheist authors)—including most of the major sacred texts; I have far more education in religion than ministers have had in science. So my new role as a minister is less preposterous than is their acting as authorities of science.