Master's Divinity School / Olford Institute Combined Degree Program

www.mdivs.edu/preachingfellow.html

 

http://www.mdivs.edu/genedcourses.html

I think I may take the Biblical Greek 1 and 2.

Now I'm teaching biblical Hebrew in local congregation of Beiti Beit Shalom .
Thanks for posting the link.

learner

 

Readers beware: Approach Masters Divinity School with extreme caution! It was shown around here long ago to be more or less a joke. Don't be misled.

 

I usually use this approach to any unaccredited school

No attempt by me made to misguide anyone and Gregg's caution is appreciated, it applies to me as well, I will learn more about the school before sending money to them. The alleged connection to DETC accredited CSU even for some classes is good in my opinion.
the claim to transferability of CSU units may be a little misleading because CSU is DETC accredited and not RA.

learner

 

In the past, Lerner, you've quoted liberally from Steve Levicoff's books. Look-up Masters Divinity School (MDS) (not to be confused with this accredited institution, or this one) in them and you'll get a pretty clear picture of what's wrong with it. Also, use the SEARCH function here... something should turn up... and, if so, I promise you won't be impressed.

One of the problems with the place is that it calls some of what it dispenses "degrees" which is just a ridiculous notion. If MDS limited what it dispensed to certificates and diplomas; and if it made it crystal clear that it's not only unaccredited, but that it's nowhere near on-par with an actual seminary by any stretch of the imagination -- even an unaccredited one -- then maybe it wouldn't be quite so bad. In fact, it might even be cool. Trinity Newburgh used to be associated with MDS in some weird way that's difficult to get Trinity to nail down or confess to; but someone fairly high up in the Trinity food chain with whom I spoke a while back said, off the record (or, if on the record, then not to be attributed to him), that he agreed that MDS is overstating what it offers; but he admitted that if MDS would repackage its offerings as purely different levels of certificates and diplomas and not anything like "degrees", and was really clear about them not being accredited in any way, then he thought Trinity might (and he stressed the word "might") be interested in offering them purely as non-credit, continuing education type courseware. As he explained it, I thought to myself that he might actually be onto something. I don't think it's fair to say that what MDS offers has no value...

...but to call any of it on-par with an actual associates, bachelors, masters or doctorate "degrees" is just a joke... even sinful, I would add. Shame on them!

 

I have no connection with MDS, either past or present, but began the thread for informational purposes. However, to hear that someone from Trinity made the above comments is interesting indeed. From its inception I have followed the development of MDS, as I have done with numerous school's of religion over the past 15 years. After reading an early edition of Bears' Guide I caught the DL fever.

Initially, MDS only offered diploma programs, although they used the same nomenclatural designations as degrees (eg, bachelor, master, doctor). Eventually, the diploma designation was changed to degree. MDS has continually made changes/amendments to their programs of study and established relationships with numerous credible institutions and organizations. There appears to be a pattern of incremental improvement, however minimal, which follows much the same path of MDS' mentor, Trinity of Newburgh.

For someone at Trinity to evaluate MDS as "overstating what it offers," a little matter that Trinity itself was accused of only a few years ago, could it be that the oppressed has now become the oppressor? Rather than facilitating the embryonic school's attempt to reach maturity, a feat which Trinity is also striving to achieve, has TTS forgotten its own juxtaposition with MDS only a few years back?

 

Dear Vladica: You are an honourable man and not a shill. Repeat, not a shill. But I disagree totally with your apologia for MDS. Even if one granted all respect to TTS Newburgh (which I do not, only due respect, which ain't much), why on earth would one go to the inane MDS instead of the merely slippery TTS? There is nothing of any value offered at MDS--I should stop the sentence there, but I'll go on--which is not offered at innumerable other, better places, often at the same cost.

_____________


Lerner, find yourself a better school. Don't waste time and money on this one. I don't like you or what you say, but I HATE to see anybody squander effort and burn money at a place like this, including you. If you are indeed a "messianic 'Jew'", as you are now in these latter days giving yourself out to be, you might wish to work with one of the schools associated directly with that religious movement. This link to TRACS will give you links to St Petersburg (Florida!) Seminary, which has a "messianic 'Jewish'" division, as well as the other TRACS schools, any of which will serve you far far better than MDS, at least if your intentions are good.

www.tracs.org/accredited.htm

 

Also, a real school in a fake St Petersburg is better than a fake school in the real one.

 

In post after post after post you have referred to unaccredited schools as "degree mills."

Now you are thinking about enrolling in one?

What little credibility you had is now completely and totally shot and I suspect your posts will be viewed from now on as those of someone who is a fake, fraud, phony, and troll!

 

Janko,

I offered nor offer an apologia for MDS. If my post appeared to do so, forgive my lack of clarity. I have indeed noticed MDS' attempt at incremental improvement or strengthening of their programs of study (this based on nothing more than perusing their website) by networking with credible organizations and securing many qualified faculty. This, however, is not a personal recommendation for the school. Like you, given the choice, I would recommend one go the Trinity route if MDS and Trinity were the only two options.

My reference to Trinity in regards to MDS was merely a trip down memory lane relative to Trinity's journey.

One Honourable Vladica
(Says Janko)

 

Be honest, Jimmy, and please don't sugar coat your opinion. Tell us how you really feel.

 

Hey, it's the holidays!

 

A I wasn't going to enroll for degree, I was interested in learning biblical Greek by DL, Al do I have a copy of original Hebrew Matthew other books still require Greek and maybe Aramaic.
Still other books of NT are written in Greek and I find that messages and teachings get corrupted in many translations, I do use KJV but never sure that the translation is good.

What gave me a little sign of credibility and I'm only human so capable of making mistakes and wrong judgements some times is their offering of GE classes from CSU, these are NA credits.

What happened to olive branch?

Any way Fake, Fraud, Phony and troll are people who deceive others by using such bogus credentials.

At least I was going to take a class if the price was right to learn something

Not a degree to deceive others, I would never concider this place for a degree.


Learner.

 

Only from now on? (A rhetorical question, unworthy of a response)

Or people who deceive and mislead around here by less obvious means; those who try to fly just under the radar, hoping they won't be noticed. They are noticed. Know that. And their time will come. Know that, too.

 

And what about these who make false accusations, lies and misrepresentations only because they can?

Will their day come to?

learner

 

Whom do you mean?

 

Did I say I was talking about you?

Those who don't try to dance on the edge never need to wonder where they stand...

...or if the edge has moved.

 

Agree

I know axactly what you talking about.
Well I'm paying price for some posts in the past and you don't forget don't you?
If you noticed I moved on long time ego.

Next changes in my life are unexpected, I have a job offer form a company in Nazareth Israel. A member of our congregation owns Electronics company over there.

I always wanted my son to have barmitzvah in Jerusalem and leaving in Nazareth Elit will be interesting.

My wife thinks I went bananas but Lord has plan and today for a first time she mentioned that she will need Hebrew lessons, I told her half the country there speaks Russian and most speak English.

I would do that for a Year or so.

But my country is USA.

 

Whom do you mean? Please answer.

 

not you but some name calling people that come to your defence at times.

Regards,