| This question comes up a lot. There are several different
accreditation agencies. Regional accreditation is what people
normally think of when they hear the word. In the United States
there are six regional agencies that accredit colleges and
universities. These regional agencies are recognized by the
US Department of Education (USDOE) and the
Council for Higher Education
Accreditation (CHEA). Regional accreditation is what you
find at most public universities.
Many seminaries are regionally accredited. For seminaries,
there is also the Association of
Theological Schools (ATS) that is a national and well-respected
agency. Some seminaries have regional and some have ATS
accreditation.
The Transnational Association of
Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) is a Christian
organization that received US DOE recognition during Lamar
Alexander's tenure as Secretary of Education. TRACS was established with the goal of
accrediting Christian schools and seminaries that affirmed the
inerrancy of the Bible and affirmed the biblical teaching of
creation. There are many Christian schools and seminaries that
do not wish to be under government oversight or censorship. Some
very good schools have TRACS accreditation. A school or seminary
accredited by TRACS is certainly not a diploma mill if that's your
concern.
Will the degree be worth pursuing? My opinion is that you get
more out of an education based on what you put into it than
any other factor. So in that sense, even a mediocre school can be
the catalyst for a good education.
But the real question you need to answer is: what do I intend to
do with this seminary degree? A degree reflects a learning
experience that provides a gateway to future ministry opportunities.
It is important to understand the credentials needed for specific
opportunities:
- If you were looking to teach in a public university or
well-known seminary, you would need an advanced degree from a
regionally accredited school or ATS. You would have to determine
which one is required by the institution where you seek
employment. A TRACS accredited degree would generally disqualify
you from teaching in an academic setting - most schools will not
grant professor status to individuals without an advanced degree
from a regionally or ATS accredited institution. It seems
a little hypocritical that a TRACS-accredited school would not
hire a professor who graduated from a TRACS-accredited school.
But that is the overwhelming conclusion when you review the
resume of professors who teach at TRACS-accredited institutions.
- If you are seeking a pastoral position, you need to
understand the expectations of a particular church/denomination
regarding ministry credentials. In the Southern Baptist world, a
degree from a Southern Baptist seminary is generally expected.
However, there are many SBC churches that have pastors with
degrees from non-SBC seminaries such as Dallas Theological. The
smaller the church, the more likely they will accept a pastor
with a non-SBC seminary degree.
- There are thousands of other ministry roles that benefit
from a seminary degree but are not required. Again, you
need to understand the general degree expectations for any given
ministry role and let that be your target.
A degree does not define your abilities or character but it is a
credential often required to fill a particular job or ministry role.
Make sure you have your target in mind and do your homework before
deciding where to study.
May God bless you with His wisdom and the courage to follow
Jesus!
Rev. Randy Lariscy :-)
President - WordTruth Press℠
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