One Week after Accreditation

We really did not know how it was going to go. I have often said over the last week that I would not want to play poker against any of our accreditation visitation team or the commission members. They did not in any way let us know what they were thinking about ILT as a candidate for initial accreditation. We did not have a good feeling, either way. However, one week ago, ILT was granted initial accreditation from the Associate for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE).

Most people connect to ILT have probably never heard of ABHE until they heard that ILT had decided to receive accreditation from them. Most Lutheran schools are accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). There were a couple of hurdles for ILT concerning ATS. One is that ATS does not allow for a 100% online learning modality. ATS accreditation would radically change the way ILT approaches online education. Our integrated online approach which combines the academic classroom into the real life of the student was too important for us to compromise. Additionally, ATS does not accredit all levels of higher education. Specifically, it does not accredit undergraduate programs, which ILT has thought about as a part of our future. ABHE, however, gives us the accreditation flexibility to do all higher education programs from associate degrees to doctorates.

What does this accreditation mean for the future of ILT? Perhaps one temptation would be to take a break from it all and sit back to enjoy this for a while. If the 20 page summary of things we should do next from Rev. Timothy Swenson is any indication this is not how the administration of ILT is going to react. Instead, there were many closed doors to an unaccredited institution which are now open to us. We have the room to move through them now and move we will.

Dr. Bielfelt is excited about the way this opens for us to start a Ph.D. program. Pastor Swenson is excited about the way this opens for us to serve those in the military, particularly training chaplains. Dr. Sorum is excited about how this opens for us the ability to engage in more academic pursuits among the faculty. I personally am excited about how we can move the institutional structures forward, open new markets, and expand our business models. (I know, I'm a nerd's nerd.)

All this is to say, accreditation is just the beginning. ILT has big plans for the future. We know that accreditation is simply the floor, the foundation is laid. Now it is time to build the rest of the building, to build upon the foundation we have thanks to the efforts of those at ABHE. This is a foundation not only in terms of accreditation but more importantly in Christ. ILT is an institution of education and training in Christ and for his church. We give thanks to God for the blessing he has given us in this process and we pray for his blessing for our future.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Cost of Education

Image
It is almost cliche to say that education is expensive. Setting the cost of education at the college level is difficult. There are many factors which must be kept in mind. Factors such as industry standards, financial stability of the constituents, marketability, hardships for consumers, and cost of operations all go into the decision-making process. And still, education is expensive. The administration of ILT has made it a priority that money should never be the only reason a student will not study here. We are committed to this and do not want finances to be the  hurdle to anyone who has a desire to study with us. Our tuition cost and our business model are built on this commitment. This graph shows the different cost/program for pastoral preparation at all the schools serving the churches of the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC), North American Lutheran Church (NALC), and the Canadian Association of Lutheran Congregations (CALC). Note: The school...
Read more

ILT and Woman's Ordination

Image
Over the past years, some have commented about ILT and the ordination of women because through ILT’s email newsletter and social media it is obvious ILT has students who are women. Let me start by saying that ILT does not have an official position, nor can it ever take an official position on women’s ordination. However, because we do have female students, it is understandable that we receive a question like “Why does ILT ordain women?” There are two facts that need to be made clear. First, ILT has students preparing for pastoral ministry and who, when they graduate, serve as pastors in congregations. Second, ILT is an independent seminary and graduate school and does not belong to any denomination. This means ILT cannot ordain anyone into the office of pastoral ministry. Only churches and church bodies can do this. I can say clearly and with certainty, ILT does not practice women’s ordination, and it will not, because it cannot. We do, however, have many denominations who look to...
Read more

The Practical Side of ILT

Image
The education of those who are going to be pastors is an important topic. There are many things a person who is going to fulfill the office of pastor must learn. Some of the important things a pastor must know can be learned from the classroom or books, but many of aspects of pastoral ministry can only be learned by guided experience. Many know the academic side of ILT. This side of the ILT education of pastors has been widely discussed. ILT students have a reputation of being theologians. While this is a wonderful thing, it should be noted that ILT students learn theology so that they can be better prepared to deal with the very practical concerns each pastor must face. ILT students go through a rigorous study of Biblical theology, systematic theology, and history. These are the more traditional topics which Lutheran pastors have studied in preparation for pastoral ministry. ILT students must also study ethics and philosophy. These topics are always in relation to the theologica...
Read more