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The Lazy Leader. This
individual was a church leader who wanted a bachelor's degree so that he
would be on a level playing field with those who served under his
authority. He considered Master's for a time, but eventually found a
so-called Bible College that would allow him to complete his bachelor's
degree by taking five easy high school type courses for which he received
six credits each. The fact that he had never before completed a
single college course did not stand in his way. The Bible College he
located granted him a full three years of "life-experience credit" without
any actual documentation. This person was able to get his
coveted bachelor's degree in less than three months. He will
probably never understand why those who serve under his leadership
consider him a lazy leader, and why his degree is a worthless scrap of
vanity.
The
Reverend Doctor. The senior pastor of a church wanted a doctoral
degree for reasons of his own. His hard earned Master of Divinity
degree from a respected seminary qualified him for our Doctor of Ministry
degree program. However, he informed our admissions counselor that
he felt the D.Min. was not as prestigious as the Ph.D., and since we did
not offer the Ph.D., he had decided to enroll in a seminary that would
allow him to get his Ph.D. in six months to a year. Our admissions
counselor being familiar with the so-called seminary tried unsuccessfully
to dissuade him. The seminary he selected allowed him to earn a
Ph.D. by reading ten books, giving a brief report on each book, and
writing a paper of about thirty to fifty pages. No matter that many
doctoral level programs require about that much work for a single course!
This man may be a senior pastor with a Ph.D. hanging on the wall of his
study, but it's questionable whether he is a "reverend" doctor.
The Low
Cost Loser. One of our most hardworking graduates shared with us how
he came to enroll at Master's. Several years before, he had desired
to earn a master's degree in pastoral counseling. He considered
Master's, but the cost of the tuition was more than he was willing to pay.
Instead, he enrolled in a so-called Christian university with tuition
about one quarter that of ours. When we got his first course, he was
disappointed at the quality of the instruction and the small amount of
work required. However, because he had paid in full, he decided to
complete all of the courses, which he did, and shortly thereafter,
received his master's degree in pastoral counseling. Nevertheless,
he was ashamed of the small amount of actual work required, so he decided
to drive to the state where the "university" was located. He felt if
he could meet the president and the staff, he might feel differently.
Upon his arrival he could not locate a university at the address to where
he had been sending his lessons. After questioning someone working
at a nearby church he was told how to find the school, but warned that he
might be disappointed. He did, and he was! The "university"
was a metal tool shed with a paddle lock on the door (it was located at
the address to which he had been sending his lessons, and even had the
name of the school painted on the door). After going back to the
church where he had gotten his information, he was told that the
"president" of the school resided in a nearby assisted living community.
He did not try to visit the office of the president. What he did do
was to drive to Evansville, Indiana to see if Master's is located in a
tool shed also. We are not. Before leaving, he enrolled in a
"real" master's program with a concentration in Biblical counseling which
offered certification with the International Association of Biblical
Counselors. His low cost degree in pastoral counseling he considered
a loss (and an expensive lesson).
Why do
Cheap and Easy Degree Mills Continue to Thrive?
The answer is simple...pride. Pride is a spiritual disease.
Not too long ago I asked an acquaintance (who also happens to be a
recognized authority on the subject of degree mills) which professions
were the most egregious abusers of cheap and phony degrees. His
answer shocked and angered me. He said (in this order), school
teachers, law enforcement officers and preachers. I am not an
authority in his area so I can only take him at his word, but if he is
even close to being right, it's an outright shame...a spiritual
disease...the degree disease.
Why Should One Desire to Earn A Degree for Christian Ministry?
One should desire to earn a degree for Christian ministry in order to
fulfill the requirements of a God-initiated call to service. Whether
the call of God is full-time, part-time, clergy or lay, the call itself
will certainly involve some kind of initial preparation, and after that,
continuing study. The earning of a degree may or may not be
the best method of preparation. If it is, then the degree should be
a consequence of the preparation, with the gaining of new knowledge and
insights, the ultimate prize. Actually, a "degree" is a validating
document attesting to acquired skills and knowledge. It's not about
the piece of paper that hangs on the wall...it's about the power of the
mind that comes from real discipline and learning.
What About Your Need?
If you acknowledge a call of God to continue your education (in order to
better serve in the cause of Christ), and if you are willing to pay the
price to really learn, we encourage you complete an
Online Evaluation,
or to contact an
Admissions Counselor right away. If,
after proper consultation, one of our programs appears to be right for
your situation, we will do our best to assist you. On the other
hand, if your situation requires something that our program cannot
provide, we will do our best to recommend a more appropriate alternative.
Thank you for reading, and I sincerely hope that the straight talk on this
subject has been a help to you or someone you know that is seeking advice
on how to go about finding a quality ministry degree program.
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