Theological seminaries: for the bene esse of the church

For the last two weeks have been pondering the fact that seminaries are of the bene esse of the church. They may not belong to the esse, but it is pure folly to think the local church can do the whole task of training men for a learned gospel ministry without the benefit of a seminary education. I am disturbed to think that we have to convince churches of this basic fact. Do these churches know nothing of the last five hundred years of church history?