Proposing article on DL for Christianity Today

I think it would be great to have someone here propose an article on DL for the magazines that publish those special "school" issues. Has anyone tried?

I also realize that such an article, if it has teeth, may offend some advertisers and result in lost revenue for the mags.

For that reason, some mags may frown on such a proposal.

Roscoe

 

Roscoe:

Christianity Today has published on several occasions a special section on DL. The few I remember compared DL with non-DL options, focused on the need for proper accreditation, etc. But none of the articles called questionable schools by name.

Pulpit Helps , which is published monthly by AMG International in Chattanooga, TN, has one of the highest percentage of questionable schools I have seen. The most recent edition highlighted the following:

1) One Louisiana school offered the doctorate in 36 weeks for $400.
2) Another Louisiana school offered the doctorate for $700.
3) One ministry offered the honorary doctorate for a $50 application fee, and $300 if approved.

Your comment on losing revenue is quite appropriate, and probably one of the reasons such ads are allowed to continue. The same is true for USA Today.

 

Re: Re: Proposing article on DL for Christianity Today

Point of trivia: Pulpit Helps is the only publication ever to refuse advertising for Name It & Frame It.

Of course, we turned that into a positive ad campaign for the book - did a mailing to everyone who had responded to the original ad in Pulpit Helps (which was protested by the degree mills, thus resulting in the ban), and had an outrageously high response with our "Banned by Pulpit Helps" campaign.

An interesting paradox - Pulpit Helps does have a lot of high quality articles from a preaching/pastoral perspective, but almost every school that advertises in it is a degree mill.

 

Two thumbs up for Levicoff!

Wow! Speak of turning a negative into a positive. The idea of using the "banned" theme is beyond creative. It's great!

Levicoff, I'm going to think of you when I launch my own marketing campaigns. BTW, I'll be sure to get a copy of your book

I may also want to quote you in a copy I write on marketing.

Thanks for the insight.

Roscoe

P.S. I wanted so badly to say, "Flesh and blood did not reveal that onto thee."

 

Oops!

Levicoff,

I meant to say, "quote you in a COLUMN" -- not copy. Sorry.

Roscoe

 

Re: Re: Re: Proposing article on DL for Christianity Today

The articles are indeed good. You are also correct about the other issue. I think of all the schools there were two accredited schools (SCU & Biblical). The rest were as Russell described (ie DMin in 36 weeks for $400). Masters Divnity School has a nice looking 1/4 page add.

On a personal note, I think it is absolutely disgusting for a Pastors' paper. What amounts to unethical deception by the pastors who whip themselves out a quickie degree/doctorate. Seems to go against several statements in the Bible & makes Christian clergy look ridiculous. I further find it unfortunate that they would refuse your book for bringing unwanted attention to mills who advertise and God forbid educating a pastor who did want to pursue an alternative degree. I should not find it surprising as USA Today is a great haven for mills. {Okay getting down off the soap box}.

North

 

Re: Re: Re: Proposing article on DL for Christianity Today

If you examine your records, Steve, you will find my name among those who responded to the ad. I first heard of NIFI by seeing the ad in Pulpit Helps. After ordering the book I never saw it advertised again.

Actually, I wrote two letters to the editor (over the span of several years) questioning the advertisement of degree mills. One of the letters was printed in the "Letter to the Editor" section in 1999 (I forget which month). But alas, as John Bear discovered with USA Today---nothing has changed.

 

You mean there really is a magazine called Pulpit Helps??? I got in trouble years ago in one of the liberal denominations for refusing to use the canned sermon service an ecclesiastical superior demanded I use to rectify the excessive Biblical focus of my sermons. How can I put this delicately enough so as not to offend...buying sermons is about like buying carnal knowledge. Apparently this sort of thing is widespread (using canned sermons) and no group is exempt, but it certainly reflects poorly on the ethics of the profession.
Hoping that Christianity Yesterday would run a responsible article on DL when one of their BIG advertisers is the lovely parnassus of Newburgh seems a bit over-optimistic, at least to the suspicious Carpathian peasant.

 

The most recent edition of PH is 36 pages in length, with only 1 page given to sermon outlines. The bulk of the material is reference, book reviews, illustrations, news articles, and oh yes, 3 pages of seminary advertisements---the good, the bad & the ugly.

 

I have seen bound books of canned sermons in my own tradition. Most date back to a time when many of our preachers were not necessarily native speakers of English. What the survival of this material has created is a tendency to peddle junk for lazy preachers who figure that an updated "illustration" or two makes a sermon. To me, it's plagiarism, and I don't care a ding dong how orthodox, interesting, or anything else it is.

While I'm at it, I have always been puzzled by the use of "illustration" sources. What exactly is the point?

 

A good discussion topic for the guys at PH, UJ.

I get all the illustrations I need of DegreeInfo. <grin>