Any discussion on the future of theological education cannot and should not commence without first a prayer that cries out to God, Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus. We must confess that it is our hearts desire to see the kingdom of the heavens arrive in its fullness sooner rather than later. With that said, unless Christ returns, we can say that, humanly speaking, the prospects for Christian ministry have never been more sure and have never been more precarious. On the one hand, Christ has assured us that there will always be a church and that the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18). Ergo, since the future of the church is certain, Gods people will always prepare ministers for the gospel ministry. They have done so in the past and will continue to do so in the futuredespite adverse conditions in the cultural climate. On the other hand, this does not mean, of course, that there will be seminaries or divinity schools as we presently know them, or in the same configurations that we currently find them.
Gregory Alan Thornbury, "The Future of Theological Education," Journal of Markets & Morality 18, no. 2 (Fall 2015): 403-407.