Established churches usually want to see a degree as proof you’ve put in the hard work of studying. Nothing technically stops anyone from calling themselves a pastor and planting a church on their own.
Pride doesn’t announce itself. It sneaks in when things are going well and people are responding to you.
There’s a reason Paul included the ‘not a novice’ warning in 1 Timothy 3:6. He ties it straight to the devil’s fall. Early success, especially the visible kind like online ministry, can feed something dangerous if failure and correction haven’t had time to do their humbling work.
Seminary training from an accredited institution is worth considering. The biblical qualifications focus on character and teaching ability rather than formal credentials.
Structured theological education can give you a doctrinal foundation and accountability that self-study often misses. For someone young in the faith, having professors and peers test your understanding might be exactly the watching and correction Scripture implies.
That’s what seminary is for. Training in the original languages and church history builds the wisdom pastoring needs, beyond knowing Scripture.
A mentor would be a solid next step. Learning from people who’ve already wrestled with the same passages sharpens how you read Scripture and catches blind spots you didn’t know were there.
Reading on your own, you mostly end up confirming what you already think instead of letting the text push back. That study under mature believers is what the pastoral qualifications assume anyway. You can’t teach sound doctrine (Titus 1:9) or correct what’s off without knowing it well.
It might help to learn how your church tradition recognizes pastors. The Bible gives qualifications, but local churches usually have a process too, like examination, licensing, ordination or appointment.
That’s how a calling gets confirmed over time.