Always Abounding - Fall 2018 - Volume 3

ACCREDITATION FOR MINISTRY TRAINING?
by Pastor Steve Damron
Among many articles
about a recent ruling
by the Supreme
Court of Canada is
this, from the June
2018 edition of
Christianity Today.
“Trinity Western
University has lost a years’ long legal fight
to launch what would be the only Christian
law school in Canada. The Supreme Court
of Canada considered a pair of appeals
cases involving regional law societies that
refused to accredit the Trinity Western
program due to the evangelical institution’s
student covenant, which prohibits sex
outside of traditional marriage. In Trinity
Western University v. Law Society of Upper
Canada and Trinity Western University
v. The Law Society of British Columbia,
justices sided 7-2 against TWU, calling it
“proportionate and reasonable” to favor
the rights of LGBT students over the
school’s religious convictions. Some legal
experts say Friday’s decision has essentially
“gutted” religious freedom protections.
It also quashes the future of the school,
which was slated to open as early as 2019
if the ruling had been in its favor, since
Canadian law schools require the approval
of provincial law societies to operate.”
While this was not really a surprising
decision to most since Canada has been
on a slippery slope in this area for nearly
a decade, it does bring up an interesting
discussion I have had with numerous
pastors over the past several years. The
issue is regarding accreditation for Christian
universities and colleges, specifically those
geared to train full-time servants for the
ministry.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
The first question that comes up is
this, “Why is accreditation considered
necessary for a Christian institution training
for full-time service?” Several reasons are
offered in response. First, an organization
seeks approval by an accrediting agency
so that their students can transfer credits.
Second, an organization wants approval by
secular institutions so that their students
can get funding offered through banks and
loan companies. Third, an organization
wants approval by secular institutions so
that their students’ parents can get the
tax benefits from paying tuition to their
schools. And fourth, an organization seeks
agency approval so that their faculty can
receive grants and other government
subsidies available to educators. There are
probably other reasons for accreditation,
but these address most that I have heard
recently.
The most important question to ask
is, “Does the Bible address this issue?”
I believe it does, but most have either
ignored the issue or they want more
Christian ministry training institutions to
accept accreditation, thus creating a sort
of “peer pressure” which marginalizes nonaccredited
institutions as being archaic.
SCRIPTURE
Let’s consider some verses to help us
get the right mind-set of the world and its
philosophy.
8 | ALWAYS ABOUNDING