Comparing online seminaries

From time to time, banner ads appear at the top of our screens for this board. Recently, two ads featuring Messiah Seminary and Andersonville Seminary appeared at the top of my screen. I visited the Messiah web site and compared it with Andersonville Theological Seminary. I would encourage other members to visit both web sites to compare and contrast these two online and unaccredited seminaries. There are big differences, IMHO. To sweeten the pot, I would include Louisianna Baptist University and Bethany Theological Seminary . I think you will find an obvious difference in attitude toward education and academics.

Compare and contrast:
1. Faculty qualifications
2. Attitude toward accreditation
3. Courses and curriculum
4. Methods of instruction
5. Professionalism of the web site
6. Rigor of the curriculum (Hint: note the amount of Greek and Hebrew required as opposed to the fluff such as leadership, methods, etc)

This is a good opportunity to compare the less than wonderfull schools with what can be done in distance education. I value your comments.

 

Please note that the web sites of the aformentioned schools in the opening post may be reached by clicking on the school's name. In other words, the name of the school is linked to its web site for your convienience in visiting.

 

I agree but I started this thread to compare several online schools that have received heated discussion on other threads of this board.

 

While surfing, I came across a web site (http://www.seminarygradschool.com/index.taf?mode=seminary) listing seminaries in the southeast. What struck me as significant were the enrollment figures.

Asbury Theological Seminary 1,700
Beeson Divinity School 180
Columbia International University Graduate School and Seminary 422
Gordon-Conwell (Charlotte, NC) 504
Knox Theological Seminary 125
Reformed Theological Seminary 2,500
Southern Evangelical Seminary 304
Wesley Biblical Seminary 135
Total 5,881

Bethany Bible College and Seminary 6,025

(Note: Lee University (3,930) was listed but I did not include it because this includes mostly undergraduates in other than Bible majors.)

Compare the enrollment of Bethany with the total enrollment of the major traditional evangelical seminaries in the Southeast.

Assumptions, observations and questions:
1. Bethany graduates its students faster than the traditional seminaries because the distance education (I realize that they do have a small traditional classroom program) degree is earned quicker than the classroom-based degrees. Thus, Bethany’s portion of degrees awarded is probably greater than the enrollment figures show if all other factors (dropout rates, degree completion, etc.) are equal.
2. The two other less than wonderful seminaries (i.e. Louisiana Baptist University and Andersonville Theological Seminary) are equal to or greater in enrollment than Bethany. Even considering some schools not listed (e.g. Bob Jones Jr. Seminary, Pensacola Theological Seminary, North Greenville University, SBTS, SEBTS, NOBTS, etc.), it is apparent that a significant percentage of evangelical theological degrees being awarded in the Southeast come from unaccredited, distance education seminaries with questionable academic standards.
3. A good percentage of people in ministry or going into ministry have seminary degrees from less than first-rate accredited seminaries. What does this say about the academic qualifications and preparation of people in ministry?

I would like to hear some comments of what posters on this thread think about the number of “cheap” degrees coming out of these three schools under discussion. How will this impact the local churches and ministries in the Southeast? What will be the trickle down effect if this trend continues? Will the people in the pew be less well taught since the pastor in the pulpit is less well qualified? How will this affect the acceptance and credibility of theological degrees in general? Will theological degrees lose their academic respectability?

What do you think?

[ November 20, 2005, 08:50 PM: Message edited by: paidagogos ]

 

In my conservative estimation, there are at least 15-25,000 people out there with degrees from less than wonderful seminaries. Additionally, these seminaries are turning out more graduates with low-grade doctorates at an alarming rate. How does this affect the quality of ministry in our churches? How much good Bible exposition and preaching are the people getting? How does this affect the credibility of people with reputable doctorates since the commoners are oblivous to where their pastor got his degree? However, it shows when Dr. Snodgrass slaughters the Queen's English. The academic world may have reason to look askance toward theological degrees. Is there a way to police ourselves?

 

I don't think this thread is questioning the quality of distance ed as a a genre but it is about the lack of standards in many quarters. Which DE schools do you think have higher standards than residential schools?