 Association and Membership
We are not just a way to get some Christian institution accreditation, but we are an association of Christian institutions working to help each other build and grow. This is an effort to create an association of Christian colleges, universities and seminaries that offers more than the critical analysis of accreditation. The Association of Bible Colleges was created to offer much more in terms of resources. Yes, we are encouraging classroom improvement, curriculum management, policies, and procedures, as well as the standards of instruction, all for the purpose of teaching others to spread the gospel to the world through biblical and ministry service training. However, this association shares the best of all our members, providing the technical assistance and expertise needed to create a more than functional institution of bible and ministry training, but also creating or improving better remote learning capabilities needed in modern times. We offer a platform that can be shared beyond the brick and mortar and reach literally to each institution's "Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8 ESV). We have both institutional membership and educator membership for those wishing to belong to an association of administrators and faculty of Christian institutions of higher learning. All memberships receive our Association of Bible Colleges (ABC) Journal provided each term.
Resources
In addition to the technical and software resources mentioned above, we provide members a periodic journal designed specifically for Christian institutions of higher learning. The Association of Bible Colleges (ABC) Journal provides timely articles addressing issues in education only found in our mission field of training Christian scholars around the world with real world solutions from which you can benefit. Even if you have no interest in our accreditation process, our technical and educational resources alone are worth the small membership fee. Even applying for membership is a learning experience. For the membership application, you will send your catalog and fill out some stats about your school. If we find some deficiencies in your curriculum and membership application package, whether or not we accept your institution for membership, we will give you a detailed analysis on how you can improve your curriculum and training. If you apply for membership and are not accepted, we will refund 75% of the application fee if you feel that you are unable to make the necessary corrections to become a member. We also offer optional assistance in building a remote learning platform and a remote administration system for remote staff and instructors for an additional fee, well below that required by other online classroom and admin software systems. We believe in this day and age, any association who does not provide this kind of assistance is remiss in their duties to their membership.
Accreditation
Our accreditation process is set up not to criticize, but to advise. After you have gone through the procedures, you will find your institution making great strides towards improvement as a bible and ministry training institution. It is not our goal to "find something wrong", but to advise you on how to make your curriculum, training platform, instructional materials, policies, and procedures better for the benefit of your school, your staff, your faculty and your students. Many Christian schools began as church endeavors with a weak background in higher education. Often, they begin as a volunteer effort at a mission to train others to spread the gospel. Also, many are weak financially and you are turned down for accreditation because you do not have an extensive and expensive brick and mortar existence with a large staff and faculty. Because you are unable to get accreditation through Department of Education recognized agencies means that often you will have financial difficulties because you cannot charge the exorbitant fees of those institutions. Often your students are poor as you reach out to train those who likewise cannot afford to go to these schools or amass a great student loan debt or are in other countries where that is not an option. Also, some of you are newly formed with a small student body. We understand this. We want you to succeed. It is for your institution this association was formed. There are numerous degree mill accrediting agencies out there who do no favors to those institutions who shell out a hundred or two hundred a year for a fake accreditation just so they can say they have such a certificate. There are also degree mill bible colleges out there taking money from students for a worthless education. If you are the latter, we can help you become a real college if you will put in the effort. If not, we cannot help you. We are serious about helping institutions that use the "Scripture" that "is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17 ESV), including training them to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth. That is our mission - to help you with your mission. We hope you will consider us when looking for a better higher learning association that helps rather than admonishes, that works hard to encourage and equip your institution to be its best.
Accepting
We understand that there are many institutions out there that have a wide range of student body ethnicity, nationality, and theological background. We do not make judgements and emphasize only the Bible in our statement of faith. As long as your institution can accept in general our statement of faith, and meet minimum standards as a Christian institution of higher learning, then you are welcome as a member of our association. We do not demand that you accept only righteous church going Christians who never sin, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23 ESV). It is our goal to instill in institutions the need to improve the faith of all students as they go through their programs. A solid biblical foundation and exposure and the help of the Holy Spirit can take care of the rest.
|
|