Bethany Divinity College and Seminary Dothan AL

I listed the location because there are similarly named schools. I was originally looking at them because they are AAHEA and Luther Rice will take their credits. Oddly, they offer several Master's degrees and doctorates but no Mdiv's (my goal). Anyone have experience with this school or their reputation? Take some credits here and transfer to LRU? Or stick with Bethany and go all the way for a doctorate through them? What say you?

 

Better idea: Steer clear of unaccredited schools if your goal is an actual academic credential

You want an M.Div.? Awesome. There are tons of accredited M.Div. programs (including Luther Rice).

Want an unaccredited M.Div.? OK, fine. Just find a school willing to sell you one. Why do coursework when you can just buy it? The end result is the same. You'll have a "degree" that is illegal to use in a handful of states, has severely limited employment utility, cannot be used to pursue further education at accredited schools etc.

IF you need your M.Div. for work objectives (i.e. becoming a chaplain) then no, you should not do this.

IF you need your M.Div. to meet denominational requirements then you should check with your denomination.

IF you just want a pretty certificate to hang on your wall and to feel like you accomplished something that is a personal goal of yours then I'll tell you what, write me a 2,000 word essay, mail me a $1,500 check and give me a few weeks to incorporate a school in Florida and I'll send you a swank diploma (I'll even include a starter frame).

 

I recommend that you read through this old thread.

http://www.degreeinfo.com/accreditation-discussions-ra-detc-state-approval-unaccredited-schools/47701-bethany-divinity-college-now-boasting-aahea-accreditation.html

 

I wouldn't give AAHEA accreditation much credence.

The 'Chronicle of Higher Education' did a very scathing story about this thing way back on August 25, 2008. Unfortunately, the full text is only available to 'Chronicle' subscribers.

Inquiry Into Higher-Education Group Reveals Odd Connections - Faculty - The Chronicle of Higher Education

The bottom line of that story was this:

Most significantly, AAHEA has assumed the identity of a now-defunct organization with a similar name - the American Association for Higher Education. It has even acquired AAHE's old phone number. This comes as an unpleasant surprise to AAHE's former leadership...​

 

Well, I agree with most of this, but while I am in the main concurring in part, I am still partially dissenting in part. My brother Neuhaus says, "You want an unaccredited MDiv. OK, fine. Just find a school willing you one." Well, yeah, there is the possibility of buying an unaccredited and maybe even a milled MDiv. There are pribably a gazillion unaccreditewd religious schools out there. Some of them may be mills, but not all of them will be. Remember Dr. Bear's spiel oin unaccredited schools: some of them may be mills but others of them might be good unaccredited schools. YMMV. iT is just up to our new theology buddies to find an unaccredited MDiv that actually makes you do some course work. Maybe their coursework might be as rigorous as it should be. But check your denomination's requirementsa for new pastors. Then, what if you want to start your own church? Good deal, all hail, good fellow well met! Praise the Lprd and pass the hat! We're gonna ask yall to dig deep down in your pockets and give till it hurts. Now, I'm not trying to shake you down and turn you upside dowqn and shake up ecery last penny that falls out of your pockets. Read what Malachoi 3:8 says about tithes and offerings. Does he not say that He will open the windows to heaven when He sees fit to bestow his bounty ypon you? Doth not He say (or so says Isaiah) that I have plans for you and they are plans for the good and not evil? All I was trying toi say to you is that we are going to try to help Brother Whatzisname to build a new daughter church and watch our little one congregation denomination start to grow! Say, Brother Whatzisname, PICKUPYOURBIBLEANDPREACH!!!!!

sAY, bROTHERS AND sISTERS, DIDN'T YOU LIKE MY LITTLE SPEECH?

 

yEAH, THERE ARE TWO bETHANYS, one unaccredited and one unaccredited and the other unaccredited. Our Former August Senior Member and Distinguished Theologian In Residence the Good Reverend Doctor Jimmy Clifton, ThD, believes that the unaccredited Bethany is a legitimate unaccredited school. And that is good enough cred for me. yEAH, AND THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE ACCREDITED UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARIES and THERE IS AT LEAST ONE UNACCREDITED UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY (AND I MEAN THE ONE IN SEATTLE), AND SO ON. AND SO FORTH. AND SUCH LIKE. i FOUND OUT ABOUT UNION IN SEATTLE BY OPENING UP THE SEATTLE YEWLLOW PAGES AND LOOKED UP SCHOOLS AND INSTRUCTION. THERE WERE A FEW OTHER SEMINARIES LIKE A. L. HARDY SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY. A. L. HARDY TOLD ME THAT HIS DISSERTATION WAS ON THE SEVEN WOES IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT (MATTHEW 5-7). GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME. DR. HARDY ASKED ME IF I'D LIKE TO GET SOME SCHOLARSHIP MONEYS BY MOWING THE CHURCH LAWN. I DON'T REMEMBER WHY I DIDBN'T IMMEDIATELY HOP ON THJAT LAWN MOWER. BUT WHATEVER. TO BE YOUNG AND DUMB AGAIN. BUT I WAS STILL YOUNG ENOUGH THAT I STILL KNEW EVERYTHING AND NOW I'M SO OLD THAT I THINK I MIGHT BE STARTING TO GET SOME SENIOR MOMENTS.

SORRY ABOUT THE ALL CAPS.

now back to union in seattle - i went to the location in the southwestern part of seattle. it was a seminary based in a church ... being on the south side, it was peopled with persons of afro descent, but i was okay with that. in christ there is no slave nor are there any slaves ... there are in christ neither jew nor greek... an afro person tipped me off to the idea that i might want to take that pack of ciggies and hide them in the deepest pockets in my business suit (i have only a few business suits). .. i remember that in the prez's office was an embroidery of a MLK $1,OOO,OOO bill. The prez asked me if i knew whether MLK was really on a 1M bill. i said i wasn't sure because i was so poor that i hardly know who is on the $10, the $20, or the $50. But i told him that if the feds ever need to create another denomination of bills, MLK would certainly be at least one of the candidates to get huis face on the next bill. I told the prezthat MLK was a good man, a good preacher, and a good civil rights leader.

sorryfortheallsmalls

OLD BALD SLICK

 

another interesting bethany thread of maybe a year or two ago.

 

I agree...............

 

I know you included the caveat about denominational requirements; however, I feel that if a respected denom recognizes a school, its degrees have some (maybe not a lot) academic credibility as well.
Obvious example: St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Seminary in South Bound Brook NJ. It will never be accredited, as it is a teeny tiny school serving rather small jurisdiction. But the church authorities back the school up (partly because Bishop Daniel and some people from Consistory are among school faculty). Thus, even folks at the Holy Trinity Seminary (Greek Orthodox, RA/ATS) or St. Vlad's (OCA, ATS) would be hard pressed to dismiss it completely. This example is all more relevant now when St. Sophia actually offers MDiv by distance.