Is there a distance degree program from a school called Spurgeon's? I saw this in a post below. Does anyone know anything about a school called Whitefield Theological Seminary in FL? Thanks, Steve
Dear Steve, At present, I am the only American student enrolled in any of Spurgeon's masters programs (the school is located in the south of London). I would be glad to respond to any questions you might have about the school or its programs. You can learn more about Spurgeon's at its website: www.spurgeons.ac.uk Whitefield Seminary in Florida lacks recognized accreditation. So, without making any judgements about the quality of education one might receive there, I can say that, should you pursue a degree from Whitefield, you would have to deal constantly with other people's suspicion and uncertainty about your academic background.
Seibel's your man with regard to Spurgeon. There are several posts referring to Spurgeon on this forum. As for Whitfield. If it is not accredited, I would stick to accredited options. There are soooo many distance learning theology options. US options range from partial DL at ATS schools to fully DL options at TRACS accredited schools (now US Dept of Ed & CHEA recognized). Also heavily discussed here have been foreign (especially South African) options. South African schools are well respected & affordable. Let us know what you are looking for. North
Thanks for the info CLSeibel and North, I am looking for a theological school that if possible is Reformed and conservative in its theology. I am a Reformed Baptist. Seibel is Spurgeon conservative and how do you like the program so far? What is the cost? What has the work been like so far? Do you guys have some web address of some other possible schools? Thanks, Steve
If you want totally distance learning from a Reformed perspective you may want to check out Potchefstroom (PUCHE). http://study-theology.com They have been discussed quite a bit here. Russell Morris is working on a Ph.D. from them. They are located in South Africa, 100 + years old, and have Nobel prize winner F.W. DeKlerk as an alumnus and current chancellor (?). The link above is for GST through whom you register. The degree is awarded by PUCHE. It is very affordable and Russell has done some research posted here about acceptability. I believe he contacted someone at the University of Texas at Austin. As you are probably aware UT Austin is one of the top National Universities. As you are also probably aware, Reformed Theological Seminary in the US has a partially DL Masters. Search the thread titled something like "Masters in Theology My choices" for a lot of information about several South African options. The South African options are respected and affordable. eg. University of South Africa; SATS/UZUL (an arrangement similar to GST/PUCHE). http://www.sats.edu.za If you select the option SATS awards the UZUL degree. My understanding from another poster is that the UZUL faculty are evangelical but not necessarily reformed. There are of course a number of TRACS accredited options. You can research those schools at http://www.tracs.org If I had a choice between a TRACS accredited school and PUCHE, I would probably choose PUCHE. If you needed to use Federal Benefits and VA Benefits then you may want TRACS. I am not sure what kind of degree you are looking for. If you want an M.A. in Religion then Liberty U has one (offers concentrations in Church Growth, Christian Leadership). http://www.liberty.edu Aside from Spurgeon, my first stop would be to check out several of the South African M.Th. options. Best of luck! North
Here is the title of the Thread where Michael has researched a number of South African schools. Theology Master's Degree: My Choices, Your Suggestions North
I should also add that I am assuming you want a M.Th. If you are looking for an M.Div then the TRACS schools like Luther Rice, American Bible College and Seminary, Temple Baptist Seminary may be better bets. The first two are totally DL and I think the second has some short residency. Temple Baptist Seminary is a fairly respected school. Liberty U does have an extensively DL M.Div. with some short summer courses required on campus. North
Steve, I will try to respond to your enquiry at some length tomorrow. First, however, it would be helpful if you could paint a picture for us of what you hope to do with your degree. Are you looking to teach in an academic setting? Are you interested more in serving as a pastor? Let us know. That will help us narrow the field considerably.
Steve, If you are willing to do some residency at a campus check out bakersguide. Jason lists various options at Regionally Accredited schools. http://www.bakersguide.com Probably the most flexible Regionally Accredited M.Div is Liberty University. Much of the work for an M.Div. can be done externally via video taped lectures. Some short 2 week sessions in Virginia are required. They also have a Master of Arts in Religion (can have an emphasis in Church Leadership, Counseling, or Church Growth). With an exception the MAR can be done totally by DL. http://www.liberty.edu If you do not want to do any residency you may want to check out TRACS accredited schools. They are a recognized accrediting agency (Dept of Ed. & CHEA). However, they may not be generally as accepted as Regional Accreditation. So, you want to check with whom ever you intend to use the degree. You may be limited with a TRACS M.Div. to a TRACS D.Min program. You still end up with an accredited degree. On a personal note I wish TRACS the best as a Christian accrediting agency. http://www.tracs.org As I mentioned earlier two affordable options in this category are: Luther Rice Seminary (Dr. Charles Stanley, Dr. John Ankerberg are alumni along with a host of Southern Baptist whose who). http://www.lrs.edu American Bible College and Seminary. Totally DL (unless you want to do short residencies). Can do an M.Div. with a focus in Christian Counseling. http://www.abcs.edu Another with possibly some residency is Temple Baptist Seminary (very well respected). Good luck to you! North
Hey, Steve, Sorry about the delay in responding to your questions about Spurgeon's. As I'm sure you're aware, Spurgeon was one of the greatest conservative Reformed Baptists of all time; so, it is sensible that you should wonder whether the institution he founded bears the marks of his theology. Is Spurgeon's College conservative or reformed in theological perspective? The answer to both of these is, "sorta." Spurgeon's is the largest of the Baptist Union of Great Britain theological schools. The Baptist Union is a pretty diverse group; so, its theological colleges reflect this diversity. At Spurgeon's, there are professors who are somewhat more conservative and others who are less so. In addition, some members of the faculty adhere to a Reformed type of theology; however, they represent a wide variety of "Reformed" views--not just those of Calvin, but in some cases, those of Barth as well. One thing you'll find within the British theological community is that whole institutions are much more difficult to define theologically, and commonly are composed by scholars representing a real diversity of theological positions. As far as the cost is concerned, with the present exchange rate, tuition is somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,000 US dollars for an entire master's program. However, depending upon which program you might choose, travel expenses will also be involved. At present, I am nearing the completion of the MTh in Applied Theology. As with all of the other MTh programs, this course has been entirely research-based. By this I mean that my grade is determined entirely on the numerous essays I submit and the 20,000 thesis I currently am preparing. The work is very demanding, and the grading standard is very high. One must maintain at least a B- average to remain in the program, and cannot earn less than a B- on any assignment. I have enjoyed this program very much, and have benefitted immensely from it.
A couple of things I should add: One thing you'll find within the British theological community is that whole institutions are much more difficult to define theologically, and commonly are composed by scholars representing a real diversity of theological positions. I should mention that, if you desire to study at Spurgeon's as a conservative Baptist, you are not likely to encounter resistance to your views. However, you will be required to do your best to formulate, articulate, and defend your views. In many ways, this is quite beneficial. However, it requires one to possess a much higher level of intellectual and spiritual maturity than might be required at other schools. The work is very demanding, and the grading standard is very high. By this I mean that the Spurgeon's professors simply do not hand out A's. Earning solid grades demands a great deal of hard work.
