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In the Rhema/Baptist thread, COG a Long Time asked the following. This is an excellent question, one I knew would not get the attention it needed because it was buried in another thread. I posted it here to garner the attention it deserves.

There are two types of unaccredited religious institutions (Bible colleges, seminaries):1. Those that are not accredited at all.2. Those that claim to be fully accredited but the accreditation is from an unrecognized accrediting agency (an accreditation mill such as ACI www.accreditnow.com, TACI, etc.). Such schools advertise that they are fully accredited, they simply forget to tell the students the accreditation is bogus and isn't worth the ink it took to print fully accredited in their catalog.Each and every school in both categories 1 & 2 is UNACCREDITED because it is not accredited by a recognized, reputable accrediting agency.Why do people choose an unaccredited school? Here are some reasons:1. It is a shortcut to obtaining a degree. While there are a very few unaccredited religious schools that offer substantive and rigorous degree programs (although TRACS accredited now, Bob Jones University was not accredited for years, but they offered a solid program, on par academically with regionally accredited schools), the vast majority of unaccredited religious schools are woefully void of academic rigor. Examples of this type school include: Covington in Rossville, GA; International in Plymouth, FL; Carolina School of Theology in Manassas, VA; NC College of Theology in Wilmington, NC; Jacksonville Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, FL; Newburgh Theological Seminary in Newburgh, IL; Jim Bob's School of Religion; Slick's Bible College, etc.2. The cost is typically less than most legitimately accredited schools.3. It is an easy way for preachers to obtain a doctorate. Check the doctorates of preachers who pastor and you will find that a great percentage of them are unaccredited.

Aspiring preacher in prayer, Lord, where would you have me go to prepare me for my calling and to earn a degree that will benefit and facilitate the ministry you've called me to.

OR you can do what I did.Experience the School of Christ as taught by B. H. Clendennen.Buy it, complete it, save it and go through it again.Then God can drop you anywhere on this planet and you are prepared to minister.No accreditation needed. Charles A. HutchinsSenior Pastor SPWCCongregational Church of Godwww.spwc.church

Aspiring preacher in prayer, Lord, where would you have me go to prepare me for my calling and to earn a degree that will benefit and facilitate the ministry you've called me to.The Lord.........to the aspiring preacher, My son, I want you to find a place that will let you get by with as little as possible, require 10% of the academic work of legitimate institutions, call their degrees accredited when the accrediting agency is bogus, and then award you a degree that your peers who have a real degree will snicker about behind your back. Yes, be a good steward. Glad you have it figured out. I don't think the conversation would go that way and I don't think He cares about accreditation as much as His own will, and maybe He knows best of where to send who. But I'm not claiming to know what He'd say to anyone. You just asked a hypothetical question, answered it, then told me I'm wrong.

I abhor fake degrees etc. But there are many find institutions that train people for different areas of ministry without pretending to offer degrees. They are often more focused on ministry preparation than on academic qualifications. And, in many cases, they produce more anointed and effective servants of God than some seminaries that have accreditation coming out of their ears. They can also provide pathways into education for those who may not initially be accepted by an accredited school or cannot afford huge fees.In my case, when I was first called to Christian ministry at the age of 18, no accredited institution would have accepted me. I loved Jesus, knew I was called to preach, but had abandoned my schooling at age 15 to get drunk and live on the streets.My first College was the Salvation Army Training College in London. They did not offer any degrees, but they taught me basic theology, pastoral counselling and, more importantly, how to win souls. After two years I graduated and was ordained.The next step of my education was with the AG's old International Correspondence Institute. I studied off campus while also serving as a bivocational pastor and earned a Bachelors degree which was deemed to be accredited in the US, but was not recognized in the UK or Ireland.Nevertheless, a secular British University accepted that 'dubious' qualification for my entry into their theology program and I earned an accredited Masters degree from a very well-respected University.I thank God for nontraditional and unaccredited training institutions Senior Pastor, Solid Rock Church, DroghedaNational Overseer, Church of God, IrelandExecutive Director, Evangelical Alliance Irelandhttp://eaiseanchai.wordpress.com/

Another testimony of unaccredited training and education.Some years ago a young man came to our church and found Christ. He had a history of drug abuse, gang warfare and prison. We helped disciple him.Then he attended a 'Servant Academy' which had no accreditation and no staff with postgraduate qualifications. He learned how to serve Jesus.Today that young man is a full-time student at European Theological Seminary (ETS) - the Church of God school in Germany.He could never have made the strides forward he has, or gained entrance into a fine school like ETS, without going the unaccredited route Senior Pastor, Solid Rock Church, DroghedaNational Overseer, Church of God, IrelandExecutive Director, Evangelical Alliance Irelandhttp://eaiseanchai.wordpress.com/

In Florida, a person with a degree in Education is preferred to teach math more than a person with a degree in Math.Same goes for all other categories.Yes, there is some truth to an education degree somewhat preparing you to teach. It's also true that a person with a degree in math is a whole lot more qualified to teach math.The same works in the accreditation department. Let's say you have the finest theology department in the world...well, if you haven't PAID FOR and obtained the correct accreditation, then you get smeared with whatever it is that OTCP is smearing around these days.Very simply, yes, a valid accreditation program better ensures you employability...it says very little to ensure that high quality of the program you entered. If the university will not PAY the accreditation agency, then that college, no matter how good they are, is magically unaccredited now.Consider if one's accreditation expired mid-year. Yesterday, OTCP would be singing your praises as going to an accredited college. But last night the accreditation expired. NOTHING ELSE CHANGED, but not OTCP is laughing at your paltry degree, your deceit, your poor education.That's the scam part. That is, if you don't PAY for the accreditation, then no matter how good you are, you aren't accredited.Consider what sort of accreditation agency would bite the hand that feeds it by telling a university that is PAYING FOR THE ACCREDITATION that they are no longer accredited. I'm betting that some of that might be PR (that is, to avoid looking bad) and part of it may be a shakedown (pay us more...or else). I do believe in accreditation. But more than that, I believe in education. A good education is a good education no matter where you got it and who, if anyone, accredited it.

ECBC was unaccredited when we went there (79). But they worked hard and were able to obtain accreditation before my husband graduated (82 & 83). They went around to quite a few of the churches in NC (both Eastern & Western, since they were officially one state then) and gained support. I remember their asking people to help sponsor books they needed to obtain for the library as part of the process.While we were young & naive then, the lack of accreditation didn't really matter to us. God had spoken to us to go & prepare for ministry, and that's what we did. What accreditation meant for us was that hubby could receive VA benefits while attending, and that made a big difference for us.IMHO, the most important thing they did was to train ministers, musicians, and educators for ministry. Their graduates are serving all over the world More of Him...less of me.http://twitter.com/camiracle77http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=691241499&ref=name

WHY? Cost, convenience, trust, and good teachers.There were hundreds of COG, 4 SQ and AOG pastors that were graduates (?) men who studied at North Carolina's 6 wk Bible school. Some great ministers came out of there. Some leaders who won thousands to Christ, organized churches without any state support.I realize these schools are not being disparaged, but they sure were not bunk! No one gave degrees there, but it was the forerunner of ECBC that also did a wonderful job. A wise man goes to a teacher to learn, not for the degree. JMH Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/