Inexpensive online M.Div. Accredited (?) 4 Gay man

I have an AA in History, A BA in Humanities English, MLS in Library Info Sciences, MA in English Lit and a BA in Pastoral Ministry all from accredited schools. am 62 and on disability. Have been wanting to do M.Div for past 5 years, but held back by job.

Any thoughts?

 

what has the M. Div to do with being gay or not? I'd go with Global University

 

Well, I could see where being gay and trying to attend a school that thinks homosexuality is a sin could be an issue.

 

Yeah, but when you apply for any religious school they don't ask for sexual orientation.

 

Does it need to be from an accreditied school? Have you looked at NationsU?. They are super cheap ($100 per year) but not accreditied. If you do a seach you will find it has been said they are applying for national accredition.

 

..take it a step further, I'm not aware of any accredited University asking for sexual orientation of a student (considering the law suits that would hit them for discrimination)...

 

What's your religious denomination? What do you propose to do with the degree once you have it?

My heathen's-eye impression is that DL religion degrees, particularly of the more pastoral sort, are heavily weighted towards the evangelical Protestant end. That might not always be the most gay-friendly place to be.

The more socially and theologically liberal Protestant denominations are more apt to want ATS-accredited degrees and to my knowledge ATS still doesn't accredit entirely DL MDivs.

You might have trouble finding a fully-DL Catholic MDiv as well.

You probably should be talking to your denomination's religious vocations people.

 

As others are asking, what would you like to do with the degree? The MDiv is the minimum educational standard for ordination in the Protestant tradition. It is also the ticket into various and sundry theology doctoral programs.

In my view, being "gay" would be a enormous challenge to using an MDiv in ministry, akin to a pot smoker serving as an alcohol and substance abuse counselor; you'll have to be able to step outside your personal circumstances and accurately teach what does and does not please God.

 

My wife and I try to donate at little bit to NationsU every year. I say this to emphasize that the school comes with my highest recommendation.

 

Because being a pot smoker automatically means being incapable of responsible behavior? At least a pot-smoking counselor knows what he/she is talking about. Sorry, this is not the topic here. The comparison is just so touchy in so many ways that it's really, really hard to not comment.

Depends. The European branch of Evangelical Protestants is pretty much cool with being gay. Of course, in Europe the whole discourse tends to be less polarized in general, so it may well be different in the US.

I think what the original poster was getting at was, is there an institution that may be gay-friendly or neutral because they really are - and not because they have to for political or business reasons?

 

Sort of like a criminal making the best cops...they know what the heck they are talking about.

 

Thanks to all

There are gay friendly denominations and even one almost totally gay, but my original question delt with online without all that "bible humping," "inerrent believing" doctrines and not allowing for "queer eye", "feminist" or "minorities"
viewpoints. Almost 2,000 to 4,000 year since new and old testaments surely there are new revelations all the time. The Bible is not to be a closed book. HERESIES

The ones that do allow for freedom of research etc. are too far away or too costly.

My Life partner of 14 years has a debiliting series of diseases that is causing him to be more and more home bound and now in need of a scooter

THANKS to the Area Agency on Aging and a grant to them from the Masons we got a wheel chair ramp

At 62 and on disability - 5 heart attacks, diabetes, acute renal failure, and a collapsing spine I can no longer ice skate, play tennis, etc. But I sure will try other sports like street skating, biking etc. and go to the Y

My passion before I got really sick 4 years ago (back in 2001 I was told that by the time 10 years would pass I would be wheel chair bound) I wanted to go to Phillips Theology School in Tulsa and visited with them 2 years in a row. My job would not let me work part time at that time.

Funny with my illness I ended up exactly that way - hmmm -
Pharoh - Moses Plagues - Let my people go ????

Any how I appreciate all what you have said

Thanks to all Blessings

Oh, BTW Newburgh College of the Bible and Seminary meets my criteria but I will still look - Its unaccredited but I am not really looking for any salary --- just the opportunity to do Liturgical Arts/Dama, Puppetry, and Chaplaincy

 

No, the issue is the hypocrisy of preaching afar from practice for the preacher and the preachee.