Accreditation

That depends on the accreditation, the degree, the courses, and the school.

 

Generally speaking, because of the factors gb just mentioned, no.

Regional accreditation has the most prestige, but it is sort of a minimum when this kind of thinking is going on. "Yeah, Anemia Bible College has regional accreditation--but look at what kind of mindset they have!" To employers who think this way, the glow of accreditation can be dimmed instantly by any of several other prejudices.

There's a barrier against conservatives in most secular colleges. Click here.

 

==If the school is regionally accredited then "yes".

See Here.

 

It largely depends on the area of the country and the mindset of the local administration. If you have a teaching degree from a regionally accredited Christian college, your degree would be favorably looked upon in my part of the country. For instance, North Greenville University grads typically have done their student teaching in secular public schools and often go on to teach in public schools.

Note, though, that I said "teaching" degree, not a Christian education degree, which has an entirely different purpose.

Do you have a college in mind that you would share with us?

Blessings,
Bill

 

Not necessarily. You use the term "Bible college." To me, a Bible college is a school that specializes in teaching the Bible, and related subjects of Christian discipleship, and the majors and minors that it offers are exclusively in Bible, or in Christianity or Christian Studies or whatever they choose to call it. If your Bible college was regionally accredited (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS) you would be able to teach at another college only in the field in which you received your Master's degree.

If that Bible college had a liberal arts program, and you could get a Master's degree in something other than Bible or Christian studies, and it were regionally accredited, then yes, you would be considered equal. The accreditation must match that of the school in which you would be applying to teach.

 

Read'em and weep

Well, Paul, this is one question to which you can draw your own conclusion. Read the posts of this thread and you will find no concensus of opinion. In fact, there is much divergence from people in the know. Considering that this diversity of opinion comes from folks who have some Christian viewpoint, you may well imagine the mix in a pluralistic world. As you stated it, the answer to your question may be either YES or NO depending upon the circumstances. :smilewinkgrin:

 

Some people are overly sensitive on this issue.
They say that "Anemia Bible College" wouldn't get the same look as say, a public university. But if they are regionally or nationally accredited, that is all that really matters (and of course, if the skills fit the job). I graduated from Clear Creek Baptist Bible College in 1999, and my class was the first to have SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) accredidation on it. They were in the candidacy stage most of my time there with SACS. The school also has national accredidation through ABHE (Association for Biblical HIgher Education).

I was able to substitute teach in public schools here in Kentucky, and I also landed a headhunter job (didn't last long--but I got the job!) Ultimately, when applying for any job, two things come to mind:

1. PRAY.
2. SELL YOURSELF TO THE EMPLOYER!

 

Teaching in public elementary or secondary schools only requires a teaching certificate, which is granted by the State. That usually requires an acceptable bachelor's degree (standards differ state-by-state), including a specified number of hours of education courses. A graduate of any Bible college holding membership in a "real" accrediting association will be accepted just as soon as a graduate of a secular school.

The OP, however, asked about teaching at a "secular school/college." College is a whole 'nuther ball of wax, and bias reigns. A white male with a briefcase full of accredited degrees in religion from evangelical schools, culminating in a PhD, faces fearful odds.

About ten years ago, I sat at lunch one day with two PhDs. One's degree was in semitics from Johns Hopkins, the other I forgot (I think it was Chicago). Neither could get a teaching job. One was asked by a sad dean who had surveyed his eminent qualifications, "Would you consider a sex-change operation?"

XYZ Old Line Denominational College looks askance at degrees from conservative schools. There are plenty of PhDs from apostate schools available for hire. A department chairman at a small college told me that, when they advertise an open position in religion, they receive between 200 and 300 applications. Why should they bring in someone who believes all that evangelical stuff? He might teach it to the students!

Q.E.D., a graduate degree from an accredited Bible College will not be as marketable in college teaching as would a graduate degree from an accredited secular school.

 

That could change if the conservatives decided to fight more than they are now. In fact it is already happening some by those who have left the SBC. I know of three. Those three are in secular universities and very strong evangelical Christians. Two were pastors until recently and another was an administrator at SWBTS.

 

Where did they get their terminal degrees and what are they presently teaching?

If theirs are normal situations, they are teaching in their major field of study and their major field isn't the Christian religion; or, if they are teaching the Christian religion, their final degree was not earned at a conservative school. Either of these would exclude them from the topic of the OP: degrees from accredited Bible colleges.

But, of course, there can be exceptions.

 

Rhet,

Thanks for sharing your insights with us. I guess what you're saying kind of goes along with what PipeDude has been saying. When it comes to teaching at secular colleges, yes there is a definite bias towards liberals, however, when I was a student at Northern Kentucky University for 3 years, I ran into both liberal and conservatives on the campus who served as my professors. Then again, the congressional district I live in just re-elected a very conservative Republican congressman in a year when the Congress went Democrat--but still, NKU is as diverse as you can get, opionwise.

It is definitely tougher for a conservative to get a teaching job at a secular college!

 

One was a professor at SWBTS and got his doctorate there and then was in administratiion until he called them on their substandard academics. Patterson did not like having a person who would bring their lack of standard to their attention. That was his job. He was replaced by a person who says nothing and works with their eyes closed. Another got his doctorate at SWBTS and is teaching in religious studies somewhere else after pastoring for many years. The other got his terminal degree from a secular university. There are many more. In fact I cannot think of one person who was in my Sunday School class at church when I was in seminary who is still in the SBC and pastoring. Three of them are in secular education today. One does teach NT studies. One is an adminstrator in a college.