ORU Emphasizes Legitimate Accreditation for Seminaries

In the May/June 2001 issue of "Ministries Today," an article titled "We Still Need Seminaries" is very interesting. It is a rebuttal countering the argument by Dr. C. Peter Wagner (Church Growth, Fuller Seminary) that "Seminaries are accountable to accrediting agencies," and that the "highest priority of professors is to impress academic peers, not to train students."

Oral Roberts University's Dean of the School of Theology, Dr. Thomson Mathew, states the following in his rebuttal:

"It is no secret that professionally accredited degrees are required by charismatic ministers in certain areas. Military chaplaincies as well as hospital health care chaplaincies require such training. People called to teaching ministries in academic settings need such degrees.

ATS never tells its member schools what theology they should teach. Its function is to make sure that the schools do what they claim to do."

ORU is to be commended for its emphasis on accreditation, both RA and ATS.

Russell