Andersonville Theological Seminary

[Wigglesworth]

Does anyone have any personal experience to report about Andersonville Theological Seminary, formerly known as Andersonville Baptist Seminary, such as whether anybody completed a degree there, and whether anybody had it recognized as legitimate by another school?

 

[daveleau]

It isn't frequently cited, but here are three pastors here that graduated from there.

http://www.saintpaultheo.org/SPTCfaculty.html The guy at the top of this page
http://www.churchofhopeontheweb.org/pastor.htm
http://www.ccbi.org/staff.htm One pastor here

If you are looking for an online theological seminary, I am attending Liberty Baptist Seminary online through their distance learning program. It is an accredited university for masters programs. I do not know if they are accredited for undergraduate schooling, although I would think they are if their graduate programs are. I'm taking my 3rd and 4th classes now. It's a great program that is respected.
The best would be the Dallas Theological Seminary, though.

But, I digress. The places I saw the above links are from a google search of the school's name.

God bless,
Dave

 

[Sword-In-Hand]

The pastor and youth pastor of my church attened Andersonville through correspondence. I don't know much about the place, but they both only have good things to say about it.

 

[Crazy Liz]

The best would be the Dallas Theological Seminary, though.

Only if you're a dispensationalist...

I would say Fuller for Master's level, Duke for a PhD.

That is, of course, if you're doing both in the US.

 

[Wigglesworth]

I'm especially wondering if anybody has an Andersonville degree that has been fully accepted by any other accredited school.

 

[Crazy Liz]

Are you thinking of going on to study for a PhD?

Have you asked Andersonville about how many of their students go on to advanced studies and what PhD programs they have been admitted to? Also, if you have any institutions in mind for your doctoral studies, call and ask them from what schools their doctoral students received their Masters degrees, and what kind (MA, MDiv., ThM, etc?) It seems like many students going on to the top PhD programs from lower-tier masters programs end up getting a ThM, rather than going directly from an MDiv or MAT program. That would add another year or two to your masters-level studies.

 

[Ioustinos]

If you are looking for an online theological seminary, I am attending Liberty Baptist Seminary online through their distance learning program. It is an accredited university for masters programs. I do not know if they are accredited for undergraduate schooling, although I would think they are if their graduate programs are.

I am currently a Junior at Liberty University which is an accredited liberal arts university.

 

[Ave Maria]

Hmm, what kind of Baptist are they? General Baptist, Southern Baptist?

 

[Wigglesworth]

I'm especially wondering if anybody has an Andersonville degree that has been fully accepted by any other accredited school.

Any takers?

 

[Crazy Liz]

Sounds like you don't have any here.

Any other seminaries on your list?

 

[Glorianna]

Sorry, I can't help you Wigglesworth. However, I go to Trinity Western University and it is a very good school for theology.

 

[Adam 5000]

I am a student at Andersonville and I can answer your questions.

1. Will other schools accept degrees from Andersonville?
Answer: Accredited schools most likely will not. Unaccredited schools are 50/50 depending on how their courses relate to the ones at Andersonville.

It seems to me that you are either trying to obtain a very affordable undergraduate degree and transfer to another school or validate the authenticity and worth of an Andersonville degree.

Being unaccredited is not a bad thing when you are dealing with a religious degree. Andersoville does not teach Math, Science, Psychology, Economics or any other secular classes and for that reason alone would be unable to obtain a regional or national accreditation to award degrees. Andersonville is accredited however, through Transworld Accrediting Commission. TRACCOM also accredits private Christian High Schools and is not recognized by the department of education.

Dr. Jimmy Hayes who is the President of the School as well as the teacher of many of the courses believes what he teaches. He is a no nonsense and intelligent man. He is also very kind. I say this from experience because I have had the opportunity to speak with him on the phone.

A few other things to keep in mind; If you are not a fan of the KJV then don't bother with Andersonville. If you are not Baptist than do not bother with Andersonville. If you would rather go to a more secularized "Christian" school and pay tens of thousands of dollars to be taught by Professors that might not even believe what the Bible teaches than do not bother with Andersonville. Liberty is accredited both undergraduate and graduate and is in fact where Dr. Hayes went to school. Liberty is also around 250$/credit hour + books + being on the schools semester schedule instead of a true correspondence setting. Moody is cheaper as far as accredited schools go and they have true correspondence courses.

Just because I love you fellow Christians I am also going to let you in on a little secret........... When it comes down to it, it does not matter where you go to school or if it was accredited, what truly matters is what you do with the education that God blessed you with the means to obtain. There are Doctors of Theology that have graduated from some of the most prestigious schools in the world and not done a single thing with those degrees for Jesus.

I pray that you make the right decision regarding where you do your studies.

 

[JacobHall86]

I am currently a Junior at Liberty University which is an accredited liberal arts university.

Regionally, not nationally.

 

[JacobHall86]

Just because I love you fellow Christians I am also going to let you in on a little secret........... When it comes down to it, it does not matter where you go to school or if it was accredited, what truly matters is what you do with the education that God blessed you with the means to obtain. There are Doctors of Theology that have graduated from some of the most prestigious schools in the world and not done a single thing with those degrees for Jesus.

It really does matter, we are to be stewards of what we are given, and if we knowingly choose a school who's degree is not worth the paper it is written on, we are being bad stewards of what we have been given. If we only care what the church thinks, we are at folly because we must also remember that we are the only representation of Christ the lost see. It is vital that we offer ourselves the best we can, which includes our education.

 

[JacobHall86]

Also, if Location is the issue,

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (which is fully accredited) has a satellite campus in Albany GA and a HUB campus in Marietta (I attend this one). The also have one in Pensacola and you can finish an MDIV in around 4 years time.

 

[PrincetonGuy]

Does anyone have any personal experience to report about Andersonville Theological Seminary, formerly known as Andersonville Baptist Seminary, such as whether anybody completed a degree there, and whether anybody had it recognized as legitimate by another school?

Salaries for full professors in Christian seminaries range from below $25,000 a year to about $145,000 with a few professors, but only a few, earning more than that. This very wide range in salaries is a reflection of the range of the quality of the education offered by the seminaries, and the likelihood of a degree granted by one seminary being recognized by another. The best seminaries want their prospective beginning students to have already earned at least a bachelor’s degree with a high grade point average from a college or university well known for academic excellence.

There is absolutely no comparison between an education obtained in the classroom at an excellent seminary or university and an education obtained in your mailbox or over the internet. If you want your education to be recognized by other institutions of higher learning and by prospective employers, as well as by your family and your peer group, there is absolutely no substitute for an education obtained in the classroom at an excellent seminary or university.

Why is there no real substitute for an education obtained in the classroom at an excellent seminary or university? The best seminaries and universities are very selective in deciding who to admit and they admit only the brightest and most able students and the interactions of these students in the classroom with the professors and each other is an extremely important part of one’s education. The social interaction on and off campus with fellow students is also immeasurably important because it gives the students an opportunity to butt heads with each other and discuss what they believe and why.

Another very important consideration in obtaining a good seminary education is to be certain that the seminary professors represent a wide range of theological thought and that their goal in teaching you will be to challenge you to think for yourself and to introduce you to the tools for learning rather than spoon-feed you their pet theology. Dallas Theological Seminary, previously mentioned in this thread, is one of the best known examples of the latter and should be avoided with more care and diligence than one would avoid the Black Death of Europe.

There are no viable shortcuts in getting a good education and every compromise made will have lasting, damaging consequences.

Regarding the accreditation of postsecondary institutions and programs, see this website:

http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/

 

[LadySaint]

Did anyone noticed this thread is almost 4 years old?

 

[MatthewDiscipleofGod]

Whatever school you choose make sure it is one that is Biblically sound and has professors that believe what they are teaching. You can go to a school where teachers are making a million dollars a year for all I care and get the worse education possible along with a big blow to your faith.

 

[Wigglesworth]

Did anyone noticed this thread is almost 4 years old?

Archives are great. I was the original poster in 2004, and this was the only thread with "Andersonville" in the title when I did a search for the topic today. I am still interested in hearing from Andersonville students and graduates, especially with comparisons between their Andersonville programs and other programs they have studied in.

Thanks for those recent posts, my friends.

Peace be with you.

 

[trinityisunity]

Another very important consideration in obtaining a good seminary education is to be certain that the seminary professors represent a wide range of theological thought and that their goal in teaching you will be to challenge to think for yourself and to introduce you to the tools for learning rather than spoon-feed you their pet theology. Dallas Theological Seminary, previously mentioned in this thread, is one of the best known examples of the latter and should be avoided with more care and diligence than one would avoid the Black Death of Europe.[/FONT]

There are no viable shortcuts in getting a good education and every compromise made will have lasting, damaging consequences.

Regarding the accreditation of postsecondary institutions and programs, see this website:

http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/

The college I go to is multidenominational- which is a great thing. You hear and learn not just one denomination's views on subjects but a well rounded education. I have had an Anglican, Lutheran, Baptist, Pentecostal and non-denominational lecturers- no Catholic or Eastern Orthodox. I am Baptist and possibly always will be but it is good to learn things from all views.

This college started out many years ago as a pentecostal college but over the years has become a mainly Baptist college (60% Baptist). The pentecostal churches don't want graduates from our college because it is too mainline these days. We have lecturers with phd's and one or two with double phd's. One guy is an ex-American Lutheran pastor with a phd in philosophy and theology- very interesting to listen to. Where I live it is the only Bible college that I would recommend.