Survey: Bethany Divinity College of Dothan

Here is a little survey for all you with some knowledge and/or experience (or maybe just feelings) about Bethany of Dothan. They claim to be pursuing accreditation with AABC.

1. Do you think Bethany is serious about pursuing accreditation with AABC?

2. Do you think they can be accredited without substantial changes?

3. Do you think they will follow through with such changes, if required?

 

Survey: Bethany

I guess I better answer my own questions.
1. As strange as it might sound, I think they may be serious.
2. I think significant changes will need to be made.
3. I do not think they will make the changes. From what I have been told, Bethany is as busy as ever, so why would they go through many and painful changes if they can carry on as they have been (an attitude I do not believe is positive).

 

It was mentioned on this forum on Sept. 4 that Bethany would be submitting initial paper work that week to AABC, after considerable time of discussions with them.
http://forums.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?threadid=9815&highlight=Bethany+AABc

I went to AABC's site to see if the application had been made yet, and the link to the applicants page is down. I was wondering how long it takes to make application?

 

My take on Bethany:

A; They seem to have a reasonably good program for my purposes.

B; They may not want to make the necessary changes to become accredited.

C; Accreditation is not an issue with me, but it may be for many others as it reduces the utility of the degree in some quarters.

 

Dr. H. D. Shuemake, Chancellor of Bethany, asked me to post this for him:

 

1. Do you think Bethany is serious about pursuing accreditation with AABC?

Yes. It wouldn't make any sense for them to even go through the expense and trouble of applying if they were not.

2. Do you think they can be accredited without substantial changes?

No

3. Do you think they will follow through with such changes, if required?

I have no idea. They have definitely made progress from when I first investigated them a number of years ago. If they follow that same pattern they just might do what is necessary.

 

Another breath of fresh air!

 

I will be happy to tell a little of what I know, as H.D. Shuemake put it. An email from the AABC this morning stated,
"Bethany Divinity of Dothan have [sic] applied for Affiliate Membership with AABC and were accepted. They are not applicants for accreditation."

Now, I presume that when the spokesperson for the AABC said that Bethany is not an applicant for accreditation, they meant, not at this present moment.

After looking over my somewhat dated version of the AABC manual (1995-1996) it seems even the application process can take some time. It requires,
1. A completed AABC application form,
2. An official letter from the chief executive officer stating the board of control's desire for the college to pursue accreditation with the association,
3. An official statement from the chief executive officer reflecting a board of control decision to affirm support of the AABC Tenets of Faith, and
4. A document demonstrating compliance with the Conditions of Eligibility

A committee then will review the application as see if they comply with the Conditions of Eligibility and if the school appears to be able to achieve candidate status within four years.

Those Conditions of Eligibility are here
http://www.gospelcom.net/aabc/membersh.htm

A few of these that a person would need to check closely are:
- Faculty qualifications. A college must have at least one qualified faculty member for each major offered.
- General studies. A college must meet, in all its programs, the minimum requirement for general studies as specified in the Criteria for Accreditation. This means 36 cr. hrs. for a four year program, including "one course from each of the following areas: the humanities or fine arts, the social or behavioral sciences, and the natural sciences or mathematics (AABC manual, 1995-1996, p. 37).

 

Alan is correct. Bethany has not yet submitted an application. Dr. E. G. Sherman, a Purdue Ph.D. holder, is working on the accreditation process. Dr. Sherman is heavily involved with Bethany and serves as Chair of its Theology Department. Dr. Sherman was on the SACS committee several times between 1968 and 1998. He has broad experience in the accreditatin process. This will take time. At least Bethany is moving in the right direction.

 

==


Sherman's Purdue PhD is in Theology??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????, huh?

I thought it was in Sociology or History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was wrong, then ?



So is the MA from Southern Illinois also in Theology??????????????????????????????

And at those other schools , he really taught theology, not sociology as it says???????????????????????

Or, is the PhD indeed actually in Sociology and as Bethany has NO ONE with a PhD in Theology, a PhD in anything will work ?????????????????????????????????

 

==

Well yes, if it is in Bible/Theology, you're in business. There's one qualified staff member by jingo Only how many more to go to serve hundreds of students taking Bib/Theo??

 

Jerry Knoblet

It seems like Jerry Knoblet is a full-time instructor at this AABC accredited Bible College - http://www.abc.edu/faculty.html

 

Bill:

This is more of an anecdote than a comment on sociologists teaching theology. At the very much accredited University of California Riverside, there worked a very well known economist, whose name I can't remember. Well the guy, at something like 46, gets the idea to become......not a theologian, but a WOMAN! So, his wife files for divorce, the kids get upset, the UCR community offers moral support. The deed is done and the offending appendage is removed. The guy--I mean gal--becomes a "professor of the university" meaning, apparently, that he can teach in any department she wants. Well, (s)he becomes, without further education, and without other things, a professor of Women's studies! (s)he teaches all about the feminist, female, woman thing, based on less than a year of practical experience. Bethany has a sociologist teaching theology. BUT UCR has a 12 month old woman (48 year old person) teaching women's studies. Ain't life grand.

Blessings

 

Amazing, Craig.



BTW, I want to stress that I am absolutely not questioning Dr Sherman's academic background or character or ability, after years of pastoral work, to teach practical Theology..

 

Or his endowment, under the circumstances.