Pastor's Resignation Sparks Discussion of Accreditation

https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/pastors-resignation-sparks-discussion-of-accreditation/

 

I actually wrote about this guy in Off Topic:

https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?threads/pastor-charged-with-identity-theft.62555/

 

I saw. Good post. So I Googled and saw this article with the accreditation angle discussed including Covington and ACI.

 

"Jimmy Dukes, associate provost of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, told Baptist Press obtaining a theological degree from an institution accredited by a recognized accreditation agency is important for ministers because it validates the quality of a minister’s training.

“Accreditation is the mark of quality control. I’m not sure what mark [of quality control] you would use apart from accreditation,” Dukes said.

“I certainly would never say there is no value to a non-accredited institution. That simply would not be true,” he said. “But it would seem to me that what we have agreed to do in our institutions, accredited institutions, is to abide by common standards, and I think there’s a great deal of value in that.”

Obtaining accredited theological degrees is particularly important for ministers who want to obtain advanced degrees at other institutions because most schools require an accredited master’s degree in order for a student to qualify for doctoral work, Dukes said.

Seeking accreditation does not compromise a school’s theological fidelity, he said, because the accreditation process allows a school to set its own mission statement and purpose."

 

"Covington, based in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., claims its accreditation through an agency that is not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and is an outgrowth of a company that was once charged with fraud.

As of mid-October, Covington’s website said the school is accredited by Accrediting Commission International (ACI) of Beebe, Ark. ACI once was known as the International Accrediting Commission based in Missouri but changed its name and moved to Arkansas after it was charged with fraud and barred from doing business in Missouri, according to the Post."

 

Yes. We have a few threads on ACI. The classic one is here, with the full story. https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?threads/accreditation.55974/#post-525440

 

In my neck of the woods (SBC/New England), churches tend to value ability, giftedness, and a track record of service over and above academic accomplishments. Most Baptist churches in my region do not even require a pastor to hold a graduate degree. I am of the view that churchmen must be highly qualified and well-educated since their calling is a matter of eternal significance. However, I've met a number of pastors who, although fluent in biblical languages, exegesis, theology, etc., never had a formal education.

And regarding Covington: This institution has been in the news on several occasions for various controversial reasons. While I agree that ACI is a blight, I'm not prepared to abominate the institution to the Palatinate of Degree Mills.

 

I have never heard anything positive about Covington Theological Seminary. It is one of those that crops up like Slidell. They seem to be far below LBU.

 

And that isn't an endorsement of LBU.

LBU seems to have a constituency. They try hard to look and market like an accredited school. That said, they have had decades to get accredited and haven't. They are top heavy with faculty with unaccredited degrees (theirs) and their President has an unaccredited doctorate.