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Non-accredited seminaries

Discussion in 'Baptist Colleges & Seminaries' started by informer, Apr 26, 2001.

  1. informer

    informer Guest

    A U.S. District judge in Austin, Texas, has upheld a state-ordered ban against the issuing of theology degrees by a seminary school the state says is not properly accredited.

    Judge Jamie Nowlin issued a preliminary injunction against the Institute for Teaching God's Word Seminary, based in Rockdale, upholding an earlier ruling that bans the school from issuing theology degrees to its students.

    The seminary could be held in contempt of court if it continues to issue the degrees, according to a statement on the case released yesterday by the Liberty Legal Institute, a Plano-based legal-aid organization representing the school.

    The group filed suit against the state in federal court last month after a Texas court ordered the Tyndale Theological Seminary in Fort Worth -- one of at least three non-accredited seminaries involved in the suit -- to pay $170,000 in fines for issuing 34 degrees as a non-state accredited school.

    Tyndale officials and officials from two other schools that joined in the suit have said if left to stand, the ruling could eventually cost them students because they won't be able to issue degrees in theology.

    Wednesday's ruling supported the state's contention that no school for higher education can issue degrees unless it is accredited and approved by state education officials. Because the Institute for Teaching God's Word Seminary does not offer courses in math, science or English, it has not been accredited by the state.

    The American Accrediting Association of Theological Institutions, however, has given the school an accreditation, but it is not binding and does not qualify under Texas education standards, Liberty Legal officials said.

    The legal group expressed outrage and disappointment over the federal court's decision.

    "The state does not have the right to begin telling us which seminaries are legitimate and which are not," said Daniel R. Castro, a Liberty Legal Institute affiliate attorney representing God's Word Seminary. Also, he said the state didn't "have the right to take over some of the words of the English language and punish those who speak them," in a reference to the religious materials taught by the seminary.

    "The state couldn't even teach these subjects because of federal separation of church and state provisions," Kelly Shackleford, the legal group's chief counsel, said. "If religious training for all theological degrees has to first be approved by the government, then religious freedom is dead."

    Tom Kelley, a spokesman for the Texas attorney general's office, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in March that the state law in the case is religion-neutral.

    "Under state law, an institution of higher learning cannot confer a degree unless they've been accredited ... or obtained a certificate of authority through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board," Kelley said.

    "We believe God will prevail in this matter. But if left up to the state of Texas, all people of faith will have to worry," said a statement released by the God's Word Seminary following the decision.

    Liberty Legal officials did not say whether they would appeal yesterday's ruling.

    Source: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=22576
     
  2. Rob't K. Fall

    Rob't K. Fall New Member

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    My question is: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>What are/were they calling their degrees?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
     
  3. Blade

    Blade New Member

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    What are the laws in Texas concerning degree-granting? Is this something unique to seminaries/theology degrees or does it apply to any non-accredited institution granting degrees of any kind/subject?
     
  4. Truthserum

    Truthserum Guest

    Concerning this subject let me share my insight on the subject after some pretty intense research on the subject of accreditation. First, State accreditation isn't anything like regional accreditation. For a school to receive State accreditation, it must only meet some basic requirements for the approval from the State to issue degrees. In other words, state accreditation is simply approval from the state to issue degrees instead of certificates. There is no doubt in my mind that Tyndale would receive approval from the state to issue degrees if it chose to apply for such approval. The issue here is not whether the school could get the approval, but that the school does not believe it should be required to seek the state's approval. Don't get state and regional accreditation confused.
     
  5. Paul from Antioch

    Paul from Antioch Active Member

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  6. Paul from Antioch

    Paul from Antioch Active Member

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    Hopefully, this may shed some light on the issue of overall accreditation, esp that of state vs regional accreditation. Back in the 1980s my alma mater CBC was looking into the plusses & minuses of being "Professionally" accredited. At that time there seemed only one rather stringent set of operations for a Bible college, and one was its seeming demands that a Bible college is totally separate in its operations from a local church that sponsored it. This was something that the Bible Baptist Church of Clarksville was not prepared to do. (NB: BBC was not affiliated with the "Bible Baptist Association/Convention" although the names were similar.) A couple of years later, the Transnational Regional Association of Colleges and Schools (TRACS) had finally acquired DofE's approval to accredit those kinds of Bible Colleges/Schools. Unfortunately, this occurred after CBC had to close her doors due primarily to increasing financial problems. Had TRACS been successful earlier, perhaps CBC would have sought accreditation by TRACS. TRACS offered at least 3 levels of accrediting procedures. The lowest one was to have her professionals visit the college & make recommendations to meet with TRACS's standards (eg., How many books did the college currently have based on what the college offered as degree programs, etc.). The next level was a re-visit to see if the college was making progress in meeting TRACS's standards. The final level was the actual awarding of its accreditation, which usually was dependent upon that College's future academic progress in order to maintain TRACS's Statement of Faith (ie., Was the College still abiding by TRACS's Statement of Faith?) Most reputable colleges such as BJU, Liberty, etc., do have TRACS's' accreditation which, IMHO is necessary for securing financial aid for students/vets + other similar options. Case in point was that since CBC was not accredited, the VA would only granted three-quarters financial aid if the student had at least 18 SH per term! In my own case, that was actually helpful since that one quarter's assistance was still there when I started my MA work at APSU....I received full financial aid throughout most all my time at APSU! Today, the VA has a post 9/11 GI Bill which as I understand doesn't expire at all so long as the person lives & enrolls in a college/univ that otherwise meets its criteria. So, to me anyway, accreditation is just what one makes of it: If one only wishes to pursue a college-level background to teach in, let's say a SS or VBS,etc., it may not really meet one's needs, but OTOH, if one's job of say a full-time pastor, requires this, then go for it.
     
  7. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    I wonder what Sen Cruz thinks about this?
    What influence might he have with State affairs?
     
  8. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    From their website:
    ITGW does not grant degrees for academic work, nor are we “Liberal Arts & Science Accredited”. The diploma programs are strictly for the advancement of Kingdom work. We will provide the student with a transcript of classes completed in grades achieved. Credits earned from ITGW may or may not transfer to other schools or Biblical Institutions. However, the quality of the curriculum and highly qualified professors, atmosphere of the campus and the anointing of the Holy Ghost on each class speaks for itself. Come see!


    Accreditation
    The Supreme Court of Texas number 03-0995 Ruling August 31, 2007 shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. Also, there she'll be no standards set for explicitly religious education is not envisioned as a job for the State or Federal Government. However, for the sake of some students we are Christian accredited with the American Association of the Theological Institutions.
     
  9. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
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    Oh brother.

    "...shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." [?]

    "Also, there she'll be no..." [?]
     
  10. rlvaughn

    rlvaughn Well-Known Member
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    I have not heard anything about this is a long time, but back in the 1980s or so, I thought the issue was about calling it a "degree" -- that is, a non-accredited institution could issue a diploma in whatever, but could not call it a degree. That's my memory of it, for whatever it is worth.
     
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