Accreditation
Accreditation is found only in the United States of America, as all other countries regulate colleges and universities through government approval. In the United States, accreditation is a voluntary process governed by independent accrediting agencies that are either recognized by the federal government or not. The license to operate a college or university is regulated by the state government and is not considered accreditation. Each state has different guidelines concerning universities, seminaries, and Bible colleges.
U.S. Department of Education Accreditation
USDE accreditation is not necessary for the theological degrees in which we offer. Individuals seeking employment in government-licensed positions such as public-school teachers, state-licensed psychologists or psychiatrists, and non-church-related counselors will more than likely need USDE accredited degrees.
Generally speaking, people working in ministry positions do not need a USDE accredited degree. If you are pursuing education at COGBI with the intent of obtaining employment or for some other reason, you should check with that organization BEFORE applying for enrollment in COGBI. COGBI assumes no liability of any kind.
Separation of Church and State
- There is secular education and there is religious education.
- Religious schools are not legally required to become accredited
- Secular schools seek secular education, and sacred schools receive sacred or ecclesiastic accreditation—each by their own peers.
- Religious institutions need no secular accreditation because they offer no secular degrees.
- Secular accreditation associations in turn are recognized by governmental agencies. They trace their authority back to the capitol of a country, like Washington, D.C.
- Religious accrediting associations are recognized by the Church of Jesus Christ, which has no supreme central office on earth. Our authority is derived directly from Heaven.
- Civil and religious interests are different and have separate realms of jurisdiction.
- The State is not superior to the Church. The Church need not wait for approval from the secular world.
- Civil agencies should not be dictating standards of Christian education, any more than a police officer should be directing the worship of God.
- Theological Seminaries should not be accredited by accrediting associations that are “recognized” by an agency of the federal government, because it is contrary to the Biblical principle of “Separation of Church and State,” indicated by Christ when He said, “…Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s…” (Mark 12:17).
- What business does a Christian educator have going to the world of unbelievers for recognition and acknowledgement when 2 Corinthians 6:14 clearly tells us, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?”
- A Christian educational institution securing accreditation from an association which is attached to a governmental agency is a Scripturally condemned and unholy union as James 4:4 says, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?”
Regional Accreditation
There are six private corporations, referred to as agencies, that provide accreditation for universities within certain regions of the country. These agencies are recognized by the federal government and all colleges accredited by them are listed in a publication produced by the Department of Education.
Many excellent colleges and universities have chosen to become regionally accredited, while others of equal standing and reputation have chosen, for Biblical or theological reasons, to remain non-regionally accredited.
Professional Accreditation
Almost 100 different professional accrediting associations such as the American Dental Association, The American Bar Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Home Study Council, have been established to provide accreditation for a field of study or professional occupation.
Obtaining a regionally or professionally accredited degree is not important to most of the ministers who apply to Camp of God Bible Institute since they are in church-related occupations. Those interested in military chaplaincy, government-affiliated positions, or teaching positions in regionally accredited colleges, are concerned with regional accreditation. These students have, in many cases, been accepted by virtue of Camp of God Bible Institute position in the academic community. For example, military chaplains are required to have a Master of Divinity degree or the equivalent, from a regionally accredited seminary, or from a seminary whose credits and degrees are accepted by regionally accredited colleges.
Independent Accreditation
Since accreditation is purely voluntary, and since all accrediting agencies are private corporations, several agencies have formed to provide recognition in areas where regional or professional accreditation has left gaps. For instance, no college or seminary offering all three levels of instruction (bachelor, master, doctoral) through home study, has ever been regionally or professionally accredited.
Camp of God Bible Institute is currently processing membership with the Accrediting Commission for International for Schools, Colleges, and Theological Seminaries. This agency is not affiliated or recognized by the federal government; however, acceptance by state agencies, church organizations, and businesses has been relatively good. Furthermore, the Commission never received a formal complaint against Camp of God Bible Institute.
State Accreditation
The term “state accreditation” is a misnomer, as states do not provide accreditation for colleges or seminaries.
Accreditation Summary
Accreditation is basically an organized way of determining the acceptance of credits or degrees from any institution. Credits and degrees from Camp of God Bible Institute have been accepted in virtually every affiliated institution worldwide.
The studies offered by Camp of God Bible Institute are not in competition with the secular field of training or employment. COGBI was established to train men and women of God and equip them with the tools necessary to be mature, productive, and functioning parts of the local Body of Christ.