If you had it to do over again...

[16KJV11]

Truth here.  In addition, to Raider's comment about it not mattering if you are a PT or other ministry major if the school is accredited, you are sadly wrong.  If you want to get a graduate degree from a reputable institution or seminary, you'll need an accredited under-grad degree.

When I was at HAC the Pastoral Theology majors were looking to be trained for 4 or 5 years in how to build an IFB church of the type of FBCH.  The plan was to graduate and go into ministry.  If someone was looking to go to seminary after graduating I agree that they should go to an accredited college.

Which one do you recommend?

 

[RAIDER]

Truth here.  In addition, to Raider's comment about it not mattering if you are a PT or other ministry major if the school is accredited, you are sadly wrong.  If you want to get a graduate degree from a reputable institution or seminary, you'll need an accredited under-grad degree.

When I was at HAC the Pastoral Theology majors were looking to be trained for 4 or 5 years in how to build an IFB church of the type of FBCH.  The plan was to graduate and go into ministry.  If someone was looking to go to seminary after graduating I agree that they should go to an accredited college.

Which one do you recommend?

"I ain't goin' to no cemetery!!"

 

[4everfsu]

I would not have gone to a Christian college with what I know now(early 1970s). I would have gone to a state or private college or university that offered an engineering major. At that time I do not think there were any christian colleges(Liberty,PCC, BJU) that offered engineering. And probably today I do not know if I would go to them since their concentration of engineering majors are limited.

I had some good christian/church teaching as a young boy growing up so I was grounded in the word. So I believe I could have handled a secular settings.

For the record I attended Liberty and graduated with its founding class in 1975, then it was known as Lynchburg Baptist College.

 

[Holy Moley]

Liberty University.  The place is far from perfect, but it is accredited, gives you freedom to be an adult and think outside of the institutional leadership and has produced some highly successful grads.

 

[LongGone]

Still haven't heard of any schools you all would have attended other than HAC.  What 'accredited' school would you have attended to help you get into the ministry?
Liberty, Appalachian?  ...ORU?

There was a girl who graduated from HB.  She went to TTU and got her BS which was not accredited when she started and then was only accredited by AABC which wasn't recognized by the US DOE as a recognized national, institutional accrediting agency until some time later.  Then went to IU and got her Masters in Primary Ed.  She then taught school in Merrillville Public Schools for a short time and then went on to become Assistant Secretary Defense Internal Communications United States Department Defense under George W. Bush and handled all communications for the Defense department including Stars and Stripes, Press junkets and the telecommunications that were broadcast between the President and the Servicemen during special events 2003-2008.  Of course this was during Gulf II and Afghanistan.  After Obama was elected she resigned and is now the Chancellor of Western Governors University (WGU) Indiana which is an accredited online university structured by 18 State Governors and is one of the most respected Universities of its kind.  She is also Adjunct professor School Continuing Studies Georgetown University.  And she is also on the new Indiana Governor Holcomb's Transition team. 

Just Sayin'

There are I am sure scores of stories of HAC students that went on to be a success. The question is at the end of the day is an accredited degree going to open more doors with everything else being equal. I believe it will. Their are idiots that graduate from every school in the world but if I am paying for education I would want to go where I am going to get the best quality education. I believe both accreditation and quality of education will open the most doors.  Even if I go into the ministry I will benefit from a quality education. HAC is not going to give me accreditation or quality.

 

[Bruh]

Do you now that accredited Southern Baptist colleges produce more megachurch pastors than any other group? Do you know that Jack Hyles and John R. Rice both graduated from accredited SBC colleges?

Since most Bible college grads will not be attending church several years after they graduate, I believe that very few Christians should attend a Bible college (although getting a secular degree from a Christian college is different).

The cold truth is that most unaccredited colleges CAN'T be accredited because their faculty is not qualified to teach on a college level. I advise Christians to attend an accredited college.

If I were going to be a pastor or missionary, attending an accredited college would mean nothing to me.

I believe many many young men graduated from a bible college like HAC or others like HAC with the hopes and dreams of pastoring or at the least working on church staff only to have their dreams completely shattered and it never happening.


Should they attend a bible college verses a trade school or a 4 year college? I really don't know?

As many on here I want Gods best for my children.  I have 4 male children. If one ever says he believes God is calling him into the ministry or to preach, at this point I don't know what I would advise them............

 

[Teri in NC]

If I knew back then what I knew back then, I would go to HAC.

For the most part, you and I joke around often...but when it comes to this subject, it seems we are kin.

If it were 1982 right now and I was five months from high school graduation, I would be just as excited today as I was back then.

Of that, I am positive.

 

[Smellin Coffee]

Knowing what I know now, I would have done anything to make sure I got together with my wife, even if it meant spending another 4 years there.

Actually, I now know my skill set whereas I didn't when I attended HAC. I'm sure I would have gone to a secular school and gotten an accredited degree in my field.

In the end, I got through it and came out of it with the Love of my life which lead to my great kids, so I'm not as upset about it as I used to be. I would rather have my family than an accredited degree.

 

[prophet]

I went there because I was led by The Spirit of God.

If He led me there again, I would go.

I've seen his purpose verified a thousand times in my life, since enrolling.



earnestly contend

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

Liberty University.  The place is far from perfect, but it is accredited, gives you freedom to be an adult and think outside of the institutional leadership and has produced some highly successful grads.

I attended Liberty when it had a few hundred students and was named Lynchburg Baptist College.
I probably would have a difficult time academically there now, it's much tougher than it was then...to say the least.
But, looking back on my college and seminary days, the most valuable lessons I learned were not in a classroom, but were learned by simply being in the atmosphere at the time...and being with the people who were there at the time.
Many have been life long friends.

I imagine many could say the same thing concerning their days at Hyles Anderson.

 

[Walt]

Where would you choose to go to college?

No doubt a state college and learn a trade.

The biggest downfall of Christian colleges is that they fail to teach the trades.

I don't agree.

The downfall is that they preach that everyone MUST go there ("go for one year at least") and then they harp on what a bad, evil person you are if you quit.

Christian colleges have a place for some people, but they are not right for everyone, and trying to coerce people into them in the problem.

 

[Walt]

The word ?accredited??might not mean much. But an accredited college will usually provide you with a college education. The leaders of unaccredited colleges do not admit that they are actually unable to provide their students with an education.

Possibly.  An unaccredited school COULD provide an excellent education; the sad truth is that most unaccredited schools are as you say - they aren't providing a real education.