If you had it to do over again...

[16KJV11]

Where would you choose to go to college?

 

[Sherryh]

I would go to hac in the early days...it was the best back then 8)

 

[Twisted]

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.

 

[16KJV11]

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 do not disagree in this aspect except I walked  into HAC with my eyes wide opened.
I knew I was going for pastoral theology and expected nothing else out of it to help me to make money.
That being said, with the absolute insanity going on at many/most state or community colleges, it would make sense for more colleges like Pensacola to be started. 
Most state colleges don't teach 'trades' that I know of, plumbing, electrician work, HVAC, but instruction in those trades would be an invaluable subject taught even at Bible colleges.
Think of the money I could save our church if I knew how to work on furnaces!

 

[Twisted]

Think of the money I could save our church if I knew how to work on furnaces!

Think of the money church members could make having a trade/skill.  Offerings would explode.

 

[LongGone]

Where would you choose to go to college?

With the knowledge I have now I know that I was never cut out for the ministry so I would go to the school that would offer me the best education at a price I could afford. It would be accredited.

Even if I wanted to enter the ministry I would get my undergraduate degree from the college that would offer me the best education at a price I could afford. I would follow it up with a seminary degree. I do believe one of the problems of IFB (not limited to IFB) is that they do not value an educated clergy. I have seen too many men that have not made it in the ministry for various reasons...an accredited degree increases their chances of earning a decent living if they do not have a full time ministry position.

 

[RAIDER]

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

 

[Vince Massi]

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.

 

[RAIDER]

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.

 

[16KJV11]

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 agree.  Not sure how a degree in Pastoral Theology at any accredited college might help you get a better job than a degree at a non-accredited college.  There are plenty of people out there who went to accredited colleges/universities and earned degrees in some odd field that are struggling to get jobs.  For me, it helped  that I spent four years in the Air Force, received training in electronics as well as an Associates Degree in the same.
This experience along with my Bible College degree and the grace of God helped me get two good secular jobs at McDonnell Douglas and Boeing respectively.
For someone going in the ministry today, I would recommend going to a trade school to learn IT, plumbing, or something like that to help supplement or provide income if the need arises.

 

[RAIDER]

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

I agree.  Not sure how a degree in Pastoral Theology at any accredited college might help you get a better job than a degree at a non-accredited college.  There are plenty of people out there who went to accredited colleges/universities and earned degrees in some odd field that are struggling to get jobs.  For me, it helped  that I spent four years in the Air Force, received training in electronics as well as an Associates Degree in the same.
This experience along with my Bible College degree and the grace of God helped me get two good secular jobs at McDonnell Douglas and Boeing respectively.
For someone going in the ministry today, I would recommend going to a trade school to learn IT, plumbing, or something like that to help supplement or provide income if the need arises.
[/quote]

I would recommend that they attend HAC and step out by faith. 

 

[16KJV11]

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

I agree.  Not sure how a degree in Pastoral Theology at any accredited college might help you get a better job than a degree at a non-accredited college.  There are plenty of people out there who went to accredited colleges/universities and earned degrees in some odd field that are struggling to get jobs.  For me, it helped  that I spent four years in the Air Force, received training in electronics as well as an Associates Degree in the same.
This experience along with my Bible College degree and the grace of God helped me get two good secular jobs at McDonnell Douglas and Boeing respectively.
For someone going in the ministry today, I would recommend going to a trade school to learn IT, plumbing, or something like that to help supplement or provide income if the need arises.

I would recommend that they attend HAC and step out by faith. 
[/quote]
Aye mon Capitan', but a little tent making skills never hurt anyone.
And one can attend a tech school like that in a years time, maybe two.

 

[LongGone]

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 agree.  Not sure how a degree in Pastoral Theology at any accredited college might help you get a better job than a degree at a non-accredited college.  There are plenty of people out there who went to accredited colleges/universities and earned degrees in some odd field that are struggling to get jobs.  For me, it helped  that I spent four years in the Air Force, received training in electronics as well as an Associates Degree in the same.
This experience along with my Bible College degree and the grace of God helped me get two good secular jobs at McDonnell Douglas and Boeing respectively.
For someone going in the ministry today, I would recommend going to a trade school to learn IT, plumbing, or something like that to help supplement or provide income if the need arises.

The fact that many of us have done well without an accredited degree does not change the fact that accredited degrees will open more doors. This is even more true now with the internet because an employer now can quickly google Hyles-Anderson or any non-accredited college. My response to Radar is that while in our late teens or 20s we may believe we will spend our life in the ministry many things happen that can change this path.

I know we all have a story to tell and mine means no more or less than yours. My stepson is a youth pastor at a fairly large church. He has a degree from an accredited college and also a seminary degree. Both his Bible knowledge and his secular knowledge surpassed anything I learned at Hyles-Anderson. He is sincere and spends many hours studying on his own. IMHO he would not acquired the same kind of education at a non-accredited Bible College.

 

[Vince Massi]

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.

 

[Holy Moley]

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.

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.  In addition, over the years, I've hired hundreds (no, that is not an exaggeration) for churches and Christian schools.  In the early years, I actually hired a few HAC grads but had to quit because they absolutely did not have even a basic grasp of the material they needed to function in a ministry that had decently educated or intellectually somewhat sophisticated people in it.  I had one more HAC Christian school teacher I moved to three different positions before I  had to let her go because she was so incompetent (thanks largely to the weird Dr. Peter Cowling who was far more interested in quizzing girls about their private romance interests than actually teaching people how to teach Science.  The only person who did a worse job prepping science teachers was Maurice Paulson -- why in the world did they have him teaching science courses????  I eventually stopped recruiting from unaccredited schools and ignored inquiries from those who had unaccredited degrees and were seeking jobs.  There were exceptions -- but they were rare and not worth the risk.

 

[TidesofTruth]

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.

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.  In addition, over the years, I've hired hundreds (no, that is not an exaggeration) for churches and Christian schools.  In the early years, I actually hired a few HAC grads but had to quit because they absolutely did not have even a basic grasp of the material they needed to function in a ministry that had decently educated or intellectually somewhat sophisticated people in it.  I had one more HAC Christian school teacher I moved to three different positions before I  had to let her go because she was so incompetent (thanks largely to the weird Dr. Peter Cowling who was far more interested in quizzing girls about their private romance interests than actually teaching people how to teach Science.  The only person who did a worse job prepping science teachers was Maurice Paulson -- why in the world did they have him teaching science courses????  I eventually stopped recruiting from unaccredited schools and ignored inquiries from those who had unaccredited degrees and were seeking jobs.  There were exceptions -- but they were rare and not worth the risk.

Not to oppose your point, because I am certain it is true, but I work an executive level secular job and have hired and fired tons of MBAs and other master level technical degreed graduates from many, many accredited public institutions and have found a very unsatisfactory level of scholarship there also.  In the technical world, it has less to do with your degree and more about what you have put into your education outside of the classroom.  In this world  (technical) the best of candidates went to some kind of school, self educated in certifications and had hands-on real life experience.  I know many people that went to HAC and made a successful career in life, some might say in spite of HAC but many may credit many of the things they learned there that are very difficult to quantify in a credit, grade or degree.  If someone was going to HAC for a diploma so they could be guaranteed a career as a successful anything they have about as much chance of making it as the accredited School student does minus the $80,000 loan payback.  It was a lot of wasted years for people who wasted their years there with expectation.  For others it was a good training ground for an unexpected life that came to unusual fruition.

Like anything in life it is how you viewed it then and how you use it now.

God's laws of sowing and reaping are in effect for everyone, everywhere.  The most faithful of God's laws I have found is this: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,  Wait don't forget this part and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently (not lazy) seek him. Heb 11:6

And that would have been true if your teacher was Dr. Pete Cowling or Dr. Stephen Hawking.

 

[16KJV11]

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?

 

[TidesofTruth]

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'

 

[16KJV11]

I am not familiar with many schools that are accredited that have Pastoral Theology degrees.
Can anyone enlighten me as to what they are and would you go there if you were able to go back and do it all over again?

 

[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.