Would You Recommend A...?

==I don't know that I would ever recommend a non-accredited school "up-front" (so to speak). But, considering the situation, I may say that a non-accredited school would work (ie...meet that person's goals). However I will usually only recommend accredited schools because, being very pragmatic here, they are more widely accepted.

 

Yes, I would. I am currently attending Masters Divinity School in Evansville Indiana. I am very pleased with them so far.

Now I would warn anyone just what a non-accredited school is. If you have plans that would require accreditation then thats where you should go.

I love the seminary extension program the SBC seminaries support and have taken many classes through them. There classes are all fully accredited. They have live classroom and independent study options. What I don't like is that you cannot earn a degree through them but the classes will transfer to a degree program elsewhere. Several friends who have taken seminary extension classes with me transferred their credits to Covington when they decided to go ahead and get a degree.

Covington is non-accredited but the pastors I know who have taken their classes were happy with the results and have recomended them to me. I considered them but ended up going with MDS.

If you, like me, already have an accredited degree and are more interested in learning something than adding letters to your signiture block, then yes I would recommend them.

 

No of course you have not offended. And you are right, happy and love are not the best standards in the world. The question is why am I happy with them? Rigor is also not a great standard. As I have stated before doctrinal purity would be my first standard. I would also rank applicability and personal growth ahead of rigor. Also some level of teach ability and how the information sticks with you.

I have taken many accredited classes, through seminary extension I took 14 undergraduate classes that are all fully accredited and would transfer to any school. Also I have an accredited engineering bachelor's degree from Georgia Tech that would transfer into any engineering masters program. The rigor of the classes I am taking from MDS is greater than that of the accredited undergraduate classes I have taken. My brother has an accredited PhD and teaches at an accredited University. His comments on reviewing my work is that it exceeds the work of secular PhD candidates that he oversees.

I have taken very rigorous engineering classes that required many hours of work to complete, but that have no bearing on my work today and to be honest most of the information gained in them is lost. I remember as a freshman in engineering school taking drafting classes and spending many hours learning mechanical drafting methods. The next year autocad came out and my expensive collection of drafting tools is seldom used today.

I understand your and TCGreek's love of accredited programs, but in my opinion many of those programs charge you thousands of dollars for a name on a diploma but fail to teach the practical information required to operate a church and grow in Christ. The disadvantages of non accredited programs are few. Lack of transferability, and lack of recognition by other academics are all I can think of. The advantages of cost, allowing students to keep their jobs and provide for their families, and study at their own pace are great.

I don't see how I could have enrolled in a traditional accredited program. I have a full time job; have served as interim pastor of 4 different churches. I have 4 kids that my wife and I home school. I am in debt up to my ears. MDS let me work at my own pace. I have been working in the doctoral program for about 3 years now and have completed 5 classes. I am paying them $50 per month. There books are all provided on cd so you don't have book costs unless you want to go buy them. This is a program that works for me.

What amazes me to no end is why the accredited crew is always bashing unaccredited programs. How does my unaccredited degree hurt you? I am not trying to take your job. Do you feel like my degree somehow cheapens yours? That would be like me being offended because some kid wants to study engineering at tri county tech. My degree is from Ga Tech and to the people that matter the value of my degree does not drop because of his.

I do understand that some unaccredited programs try to sell themselves as something they are not. But the students should know better. But other than that I can't see why you are so passionately opposed to these schools. Well this post is too long, thanks to anyone who took the time to read it.

 

You know I had another thought about the rigor of different programs that I wanted to share. As a 40 year old parent going to school part time and trying desperately to lean something so that I can do a better job my priorities are very different than they were when I was a teenager. My classes today are more rigorous but perhaps the difference is more with me than with the classes. I am no longer interested in meeting the minimum requirements but on maximizing the benefits I receive from each class. 20 years ago that was not my attitude and I have the grade transcripts to prove it. If I could take the same classes today that I did then I would put a lot more into them.

 

Long...but good post :thumbs:

 

IMO

re "doctrinal purity" : if I already know it all , I need no schooling at all.

re "rigor": if I already know it all, I need no rigor at all.

re "cost": God's accredited seminaries in USA charge God's chosen servants too much. want cheap? look toward South Africa. (MTh= approx $3000 )or South Washington. recommend : South African Theological Seminary or CES.

re "accreditation": usually better than UA.

re "MDS" : not in past recommended. improved?

 

Thank you very much for your kind words of support guys. I have not preached since Feb, but I am sure God is not done with me and another church in need is just around the corner.

 

Accredited if your looking for a much better paycheck.
Other wise I don't see much difference except for the facilities
Or, use your own Bible.
Holy Spirit has not misguided anyone yet.

 

Not comfortable with this statement, because it seems to insinuate that people attend accredited schools simply for financial gain.

And there are quite a few differences between the average accredited school and the average unaccredited one.

 

I know this is off topic, but since I posted the above comments here anyway. . .

Here I am having a little pitty party, oh I have not preached in so long, blah blah blah. And so a church called me last night and I am preaching again this Sunday.

Aint God cool? Why does He do the things He does and why is his timing always so perfect? Cause He's God.