Temple Baptist Seminary has announced they are seeking SACS accreditation. Lee Roberson established Tennessee Temple University and Temple Baptist Seminary in the late 1940's. Temple Baptist Seminary currently offers TRACS-accredited distance education programs up to the Doctor of Ministry. I believe that the school is more than credible enough as it stands, but SACS accreditation will certainly facilitate transfer to other graduate programs.
Excellent observation, Dave. Not only is TBS "credible enough as it stands," it was also credible before it received TRACS accreditation. In terms of offering a solid academic program, TBS is one of a few non-RA schools oriented toward Christian ministry which offers such. These schools tend to produce practitioners in the field, and for those who wish to pursue further graduate/doctoral level studies, they offer such programs in various disciplines of practical theology. But as you say, SACS (or even TRACS) will indeed enhance the utility of such degrees. However, transfering credits/degrees is not an issue with some in ministry, yet they do seek substantive programs of study.
Russell: "Not only is TBS "credible enough as it stands," it was also credible before it received TRACS accreditation." Dave G.: I would agree with that, although few schools that choose to remain unaccredited (as Temple did for many years) are high quality. Enough accredited fundamentalist schools have maintained their standards that it might cause those high quality unaccredited schools to rethink their position on accreditation. Still, those that do still exist make me think that the "RA or the highway" paradigm is too simple when it comes to theological schools. I encourage anyone looking for a theological education to look past accreditation at the academic reputation of a school and its faculty, especially in your specific area of interest. Even regional accreditation does not put all such schools on the same plane - some accredited schools are better than other accredited schools.
This is especially true for those schools whose primary mission is to produce academically astute practitioners, i.e., those who will be serving "in the field." Granted, the larger percentage of non-RA religious/theological schools are perhaps millish, however, substantive non-RA schools do indeed exist.
By the way, Russell, congratulations on the PowerPoint certificate. I had only recently switched on the "see other user's signature" feature, and I am pleased to discover that you have passed this post-doctoral milestone.
Thank you very much, Dave. You are the first to offer such a congratulatory statement. The PowerPoint certificate was indeed a milestone in my academic journey. Twenty (20) contact hours, ten (10) lab hours, the textbook fee and tuition of $40 were required to "earn" the beautifully designed 6" X 8" diploma from Alamance Community College. Of course, the University of Liverpool sticker cost an extra $225.
