St. Andrew's Theological College and Seminary

Hello all,
I am about to apply for a Master's of Theology degree at St. Andrews Theological College and Seminary and would appreciate any advice, thoughts, warnings and/ or comments about the institution. I am new to DL and all of my degrees (BS, MA and EdD) are from RA "brick and mortar" campuses. Here are a few things I know :

1. The are unaccredited and clearly state their status.

2. Until recently, there were known as Cranmer Seminary (not Cranmer Theological House).

3. They recently moved from High Point, North Carolina to Lexington, North Carolina.

4. Their web address is divinityschool.org

5. I love my day job, I just want to study theology for personal reasons.

Once again, I would love some advice from all the experts in this forum before I commit my time, money and effort.

Thanks,
Earl Hodges

 

Earl,

Welcome to DegreeInfo!

I visited the campus of Cranmer when it was located in High Point, which was basically a few rented rooms in the educational building of a local church. You may want to peruse www.bakersguide.com for further options. On the website, click on "program guides" and then go to the master's degree section.

 

Run as fast as you can!

Here is my opinion for what its worth. I think you need to run as fast as you can from this school. Now I understand that you want to study for your own pleasure and not for need of degree. My suggestion is that you find a program that is more legit than what they are. Some suggestions might be one of the South African or Australian schools. I know SATS offers a program that is very well down. Then there is always taking classes for enjoyment like through Seminary Extension of SBC or taking classes through ITS (Institute of Theological Studies). Just take classes for your pleasure but do not go through a school that does not have accredidation or have a good reputation. I personally would go to Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary because it is reputable in both the PCA and ARP denominations. That is just me. I hope this helps in some way.

For His Glory,


drew

 

Hi Earl If you're going to go through the effort to study Theology, which is what I'm doing, You'd might as well do it for credit. I'd recomend going to an accredited school. Also, it will give you personal satisfaction and motivation knowing that you are shooting for a real degree. Also, if the Lord ever chooses to use your knowledge, then your degree will open up doors easier. There are a lot of accredited DL schools that are solid and well priced. Please search around for one. I'm probably going to go to SATS www.sats.edu.za to finish my degree. There are many more. God bless you! -Kevin-

 

Earl: If your interest in this school is due to your adherence to one of the conservative Anglican denominations, you may want to investigate it further, as there are not many options in that denominational constellation--none of them accredited, unless the seminary of the Reformed Episcopal Church in Philadelphia is.

I speak from a very conservative viewpoint in a liturgical/confessional denomination which has little contact with others, BUT within broad parameters much of theological education is not really dependent upon denominational affiliation. That is, you sort out what are the special emphases--or special pleadings--of a sponsoring group, and accept them or reject them as you see fit.

Since this school isn't accredited, you might well be better served by another option even if you are close to this school theologically. Having said that, I remember that you said this was for personal enrichment--so the issue of accreditation FOR YOU is purely one of quality control, not one of career requirements.

The bottom line? An accredited school is probably a better source of instruction for you, but that is not an absolute. So as St Augustine was told, "tolle et lege", start reading! Best of luck to you.

 

Hello all,
Thanks for your input on this matter. I am now hesitant to study at St. Andrew's. Maybe I was trying to convince myself that accreditation was not that important for personal and spiritual growth. With your responses, and the advise of a colleague who used to teach at a seminary, I realize that accreditation is an important principle of stewardship.
Yes, I wish to study Theology under an orthodox or conservative Anglican framework. The Reformed Episcopal Seminary is ATS accredited and offers a certificate through DL. Furthermore, Cranmer Theological House moved to Houston and I believe under state law, they must pursue and receive accreditation in the next few years in order to issue degrees. Maybe they will offer some DL courses as well.
Thanks,
Earl Hodges

 

Columbia

Earl,

You might want to look at Columbia Biblical Seminary, www.ciu.edu. They are non-denominational, conservative, and have Philip Comfort of the Anglican Mission in America as an adjunct instructor. C.B.S. has accreditation (meaning financial aid is an option), an actual campus in Columbia, South Carolina, and a solid reputation.

Dave

 

http://www.ciuweb.com/extension/

Earl, the above link is for the distance learning program through Columbia Biblical Seminary. What part of the country are you from? There may be good schools nearer than you think which could be an option.

The Cranmer/St. Andrews Seminary deal doesn't sound very promising in the quality department. There must be a better option out there, even within the boundaries you have set.

Also, since you are studying for personal reasons, are you interested in certificate programs as well as degree programs? That might widen the field a bit.

 

Earl, since RES is accredited, I'd recommend them over any other conservative Anglican options--even though, as a Lutheran, I find their Zwinglian view of the sacraments appalling. They have been around for more than 100 years and are well-regarded in many evangelical circles. I guess you could take Comfort from his presence at CBS--certainly a good school--but RES would probably suit you better theologically and liturgically. Also, the REC has opened doors to the Anglican "continuing church" movement in ways that an older generation in the REC would not have done, so I think you would find their seminary not only reputable but hospitable.