ACCREDITATION

Standards that Qualify Accreditation


Accreditation has many benefits.

Government Status Recognition - State of Texas


The Texas State Board of Education recognizes Texas Seminary Christian University, a State of Texas-based and registered non-profit seminary, as having complied with Section 1005.06(1)(t), Texas' Statutes pursuant to religious institutions. Degree programs of study offered by Texas Seminary Christian University, have been declared exempt from the requirements for licensure, under provisions of Texas State General Statutes.


The Coordinating Board, Texas College and University System, is authorized by the Texas State Legislature to establish standards and criteria for degree granting institutions. The Coordinating Board has determined that Texas Seminary Christian University has authority to grant degrees in the State of Texas by virtue of its fully accredited status through The Association for Biblical Higher Education (formerly the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges).


AUTHORIZATION TO GRANT DEGREES

Accreditation


The Accrediting Commission For Biblical Higher Education (ACBHE) is an independent, Texas based, non-profit corporation. Their purpose is to be an accrediting agency to Bible colleges, specialized schools, institutes and seminaries, which handle distance, external study programs and/or resident programs. ACBHE assist Institutions that do not choose the governmental connection with regional accreditation.


ACBHE is a Christian based foundation that is dedicated to the specialized area of Theological Education. No other secular corporate structure or alternate studies need to be addressed for the receiving of ACBHE Accreditation. Institutes are reviewed based upon their Theological studies alone.


Texas Seminary Christian University has satisfactorily attained the prescribed standards of the ACBHE required for certification and accreditation by this association and is therefore admitted as a fully recognized and accredited educational institution in good and regular standing. Therefore Texas Seminary Christian University has been granted the Certificate Of Accreditation with all rights and privileges in accordance with the rules, regulations, and guidelines of this Accrediting Agency. This authorization must be renewed each year and is based on the evaluation of standards concerning the quality of education, ethical business practices, and fiscal responsibility.



Texas Seminary Christian University allows the ACBHE to monitor, assess, and evaluate the standards of our Institution, as well as the quality of the education given to our students. Texas Seminary Christian University submits to the ACBHE requirements of high academic quality, accurate record-keeping, and ethical policies and practices.


Welcome to the National Bible College Association. The National Bible College Association provides reasonable and affordable accreditation for your Bible College or Theological Seminary. We are a membership-based association.

All our members are required to accept the credits, diplomas and degrees issued by all other member schools. This means that a student who earns their Bachelor’s degree from your school and transfers to another member school is recognized as having completed the requirements for a Bachelor’s degree. Therefore, the student will not be required to take additional courses in order to obtain their Bachelor’s degree from the school they are transferring to.

The National Bible College Association encourages all who operate a private, Christian, Bible College or Theological Seminary to become members of NBCA. There is strength in numbers, and we seek to honor God our Father in all we do.

Member # TX2023252
Member Since: July, 2023

NASM/AFAA CERTIFICATION GOVERNING BOARD


The NASM-CPT online personal training certification is proudly accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). The NCCA is a nationally recognized third party agency that accredits certification programs which are able to meet and comply with its standards.

The mission of NCCA is to help ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public through the accreditation of certification programs that assess professional competence. Its purpose is to provide the public and other stakeholders the means by which to identify certification programs that serve their competency assurance needs in a profession.

The NASM-CPT and AFAA-CGFI programs are governed by a Board of eight persons that set policies for the certification and recertification processes and act on violations of the Testing Code of Code and Professional Code of Conduct. Occasionally there are openings on this governing board for persons who would like to be involved in this process.

About Our Accreditation


 Every bible college has the option to become accredited or remain unaccredited. Those that choose to become accredited also has the option to become accredited via USDE, or through a religious accrediting agency. Both types of accrediting agencies are third party organizations that examine monitor, assess, and evaluate the standards and quality of education received at an educational institution.


A vast majority of Bible colleges and seminaries choose not to be governed by the USDE and therefore do not seek regional accreditation. Texas Seminary Christian University is accredited, but has not chosen to be accredited via national, regional, governmental, or by the USDE.

Texas Seminary Christian University has not pursued such recognition for two main reasons. First, we want to keep the cost of tuition affordable so that more students have the opportunity to study at Texas Seminary Christian University, obtain their degree, and remain free from student loans and debts. Secondly, USDE accreditation is not necessary for the theological degrees in which we offer.


Being that Texas Seminary Christian University is an educational ministry, and our degree programs are religious in nature, and understands the benefits and importance of being accredited, and is willing to become examined by a third party organization, Texas Seminary Christian University has chosen to become accredited by a prominent worldwide ecclesiastical accrediting agency such as, the Accrediting Commission For Biblical Higher Education. Texas Seminary Christian University is also an accredited member of the Global Christian Schools Network.


 

Global

Christian Schools

Network


The officers of the Global Christian Schools Network in accordance with the standards of practice and in accordance with the regulations of state, local and national laws related to Christian Education has admitted into membership Texas Seminary Christian University as an accredited member.

Texas Seminary Christian University has been recorded in the record and registry of the Global Christian Schools Network, and hereby has been recognized and approved to offer the following programs:


  • Bible Diplomas
  • Certificate Programs
  • Undergraduate Degrees
  • Graduate Degrees



In accordance with the rules, regulations, and guidelines of this Christian Educational Association.


What Is Accreditation?


Accreditation Defined (Source: Merriam Webster)

To accredit is to give official authorization to or approval of; to provide with credentials; to recognize or vouch for as conforming with a standard; to recognize as maintaining standards that qualify the graduates for admission to higher or more specialized institutions or for professional practice; to consider or recognize as outstanding.



Accreditation is a quality assurance process that colleges, universities and education institutions, or programs undergo to confirm that they meet a strict and recognized set of service and operational standards.


Benefits Of Accreditation


The benefit of being accredited is this, when an educational institution is accredited, the accrediting agency monitors, assess and evaluates the standards and quality of education you receive at a college, university or educational institution or program. When a college, university, educational institution, or program receives accreditation, you the student can feel secure in knowing that you attend a school that meets the recognized standards.



Also when an institution becomes accredited it indicates their willingness to become examined by a third party organization. It openly allows analysis of their policies and practices. Accreditation is purely voluntary in nature, not mandatory for any school to operate, however the accreditation of a Bible college or seminary gives a “seal of approval” on that school. This helps you the student to be assured that you’re receiving quality education.




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 Texas Seminary Christian University with the intent of obtaining employment or for some other reason, you should check with that organization BEFORE applying for enrollment in Texas Seminary Christian University. Texas Seminary Christian University 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?”



Why not become accredited by the Department of Education? In many cases the government’s Department of Education is not qualified to accredit a private school, such as a Bible School, because the DOE is secular and a Bible or Christian School is spiritual thus our standards are not secular and cannot be judged by secular standards!

As we find in 1 Corinthians 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Therefore a state agency is not able to determine if a spiritually directed learning institution is meeting the mandates of the Bible!

Accreditation has many benefits for both educational institutions and students, but it is neither a guaranty nor is it the sole criterion of an excellent education. Every accredited institution was once unaccredited. For example, Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) was founded in 1924 but was not accredited by SACS until 1969, long after the graduation of notables such as Dwight Pentecost, Charles Ryrie, and Chuck Swindoll. Dallas Theological Seminary was not accredited by ATS until 1994, but its excellent education before then is unassailable.

Where promotional material for an unaccredited institution consists of an advertisement in a periodical published by a person or entity that is not affiliated with the unaccredited institution, the disclosure required in subsection (a) may be abbreviated to state as follows NOT ACCREDITED BY AN AGENCY RECOGNIZED BY THE U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION. The disclosure required under this subsection shall be made in a type size as large or larger than any other text in the advertisement.

For more information on accreditation, you may click on the following link to read the blog entitled What is the Big Deal about Accreditation?


Memberships

Institutional Member of ACDE
Association of Christian Distance Education

Accredited by NAPTI
National Association of Private Theological Institutions

Accredited by ACBE
Apostolic Council on Biblical Education

Certified Member of NBCA
National Bible College Association

Certified Member of ACEA
Academic Council of Educational Accountability

Accredited by ACBHE
Accrediting Commission for Biblical Higher Education

Certified Academic Institute 
National Christian Counselors Association

Certified Academic Institute
The American Association of Christian Therapist

Certified Member of IFCC
International Federation of Christian Chaplains

Certified Member of IACCP
International Association of Christian Counseling Professionals

Associate Member of CCT
Christian Counselors of Texas

Member of the NAMA
National Anger Management Association

Certified Member of the BCA
Biblical Coaching Alliance

Certified Member of GCSN
Global Christian Schools Network

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