I've been considering Louisiana Baptist and Trinity Theological Seminary for a Masters after having obtained by Bachelor of Theology. The most recent opinions on them I could find were several years old. LBU seems to have a decent reputation and Trinity's president seems to be active in SBC circles. I know they are unaccredited, but could someone get a decent biblical education from either one of them?
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Current Opinions of LBU and Trinity
- Thread starter labaptist
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It also depends on how young you are. I've known younger people who obtain unaccredited degrees only for their plans to change later in life and it become a decision they've regretted.
I'll be 40 next year. I am pastoring my first church and feel that I need some additional knowledge. Also it would help having a Masters if i ever want to be considered for a larger church (no immediate plans but one never knows.)
Peter James
New Member
If you want to talk to the Academic Dean of Trinity, I can give you his facebook link if you want. Let me know. God Bless - Peter James
There are more then one Seminary that offers courses FOR FREE on line.
Dallas Theological is one.
Perhaps it would be wise to “visit” in the classrooms. Sample the teaching.
Perhaps by dong so, you will find you don’t even need to leave the church office.
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Dallas Theological is one.
Perhaps it would be wise to “visit” in the classrooms. Sample the teaching.
Perhaps by dong so, you will find you don’t even need to leave the church office.
.Anytime you are considering attending an unaccredited school, you need to prayerfully consider your long-term options. An unaccredited graduate degree can limit any future educational goals you might have. There are plenty of fully online graduate programs offered by conservative seminaries. I would encourage you to look into those options first.
Martin.
I don't know how "current" you would consider this, but my husband graduated with a Masters from LBU in 2011. We both hold secular Bachelors and Masters degrees as well. He was called right at graduation to a pastor a SBC church and has served here for 7 years. We have found that his LBU degree has provided him with an excellent spiritual foundation for ministry and preaching and is well respected by those who know education and why schools like LBU choose not to accredit.
I believe "what he got" out of his education at LBU was improved because he came to the school as someone who already had a scholarly education and so he approached his classes that way. That being said, reflecting on his assignments, class requirements, and the required writing styles, I can see how some students would pass through their system and "get by" with minimal effort.
If you are looking to stay within the independent Baptist movement, or with smaller congregations, you can get what you need at LBU - even if you do not attend but only take online classes...But on the whole his degree is not held in high esteem in SBC circles or with larger congregations. It has been our experience that an uneducated Pastor Search Committee will google LBU, see it is not accredited, and immediately eliminate him from consideration. On the other hand, he enrolled in an SBC seminary, who examined his degree and core class content and accepted about 3/4 of his LBU hours toward his MDiv, because they know what they are looking at!
So the long and short of it is, as other comments have emphasized - It really depends on what you plan to do with your degree.
Golden Gate (now Gateway)
i would caution you on selecting schooling based on what advantage or disadvantage it may be to you gaining a pastorate of a larger assembly.
God is not impressed with bricks and mortar, with displays of fine arts, with large gatherings, with reputations.
He looks for that servant who is dong the bidding irregardless of his place on the field of labor.
A “grip” is one who is in charge of caring for and operating the cameras on a movie set. On the film stage the “key grip” is the supervisor of all the “grips.” No film would be in a theatre without the daily efforts of the “grip.” No star would be prominent without the “grip.”
I give that as an example hoping to show that prominence and importance are not always found in the same person.
I have known a great number of those who had prominence both in the political and the religious endeavors, but few of them had lasting importance.
Therefore, when selecting a school, turn from any aspect of what benefit it might do in terms of recognition and keep the focus on that which is important - the education.
As Paul told Timothy, “study to show yourself approved unto God” for if anyone had attended schools of reputation and importance in striving for advancement it was Paul (Saul). And He knew that such schools may hold and teach error.
Like I posted earlier, go online. Multiple schools offer “open classroom” experience where you can literally view the class sessions and get first hand experience of the teachers and teaching.
Here is one: Seminary Online | Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS)
Just so you know, importance and prominence may certainly be exampled. The school in the link is were Chuck Swindoll (Insight for Living) and the late J. Vernon McGee (Through the Bible) were schooled as well as many others. Neither person would dispute this post. And there are others, too.
Find that which you consider God would have you invest, then study.
But be warned.
This is a family decision.
Your family must be on board and completely supportive in the endeavor. I have witnessed many tragedies by those who were unaware of the little foxes.
If there is a tendency to drift (Hebrews 2) or an unrepaired crack, the enemy will destroy. For the last thing He desires is another educated believer willing to serve and seeking the Glory of God to be displayed in all they do.
Liberty University accepts them. They will transfer in as electives. Larger churches will want an MDiv or PHD minimnum.
Dear labaptist,
This has been done over and over again and again on the BB. Why not do a search to see what was "cussed" and discussed before. That will get you going until others gather into your thread here?
rd
ChrisTheSaved
Active Member
Talked to a staff member at Rawlings School of Divinity aka Liberty Baptist Seminary (We graduated together). He said they will not take credits from Trinity or LBU...without question it's not going to happen. Not even on a case by case bases. In the past they have let them slip by, no longer are they allowed to do that.
I just wanted to clear that up. I am waiting for a call back from Golden Gate and will let you know what they say. I do not want people getting false hope.
What was the word from Gateway fka Golden Gate? Also on Liberty's website Trinity is listed as one of the unaccredited schools they will accept credits from, though this may just be undergrad credits. Unaccredited Institutions Approved for Transfer | Registrar | Liberty University
ChrisTheSaved
Active Member
I was also told they didn't accept credits.
Yes, you are correct, Trinity is accepted at the ug level.
and some of them will only looking for a part-time minister- ie bi-vocational!
Son_of_a_Preacherman
New Member
I ask NOBTS a couple years ago because I was taking some classes and had a friend with a degree from LBU who was wanting to get one from NOBTS. I was told it is a case by case basis and they MIGHT accept some but not all.