Accreditation is a totally voluntary process, and it is not compulsory or mandatory for Bible Colleges and Seminaries that operate without government or federal funds. Since we have chosen not to seek or receive any government funds, we have taken a totally independent and biblical stand in these matters which is explained below.
ISDET has been established by an international group of committed, theologically conservative, Bible believing, Christians to impart high quality spiritual, bible-based, theological education and training to Christians worldwide. The purpose of such training in Bible and theology is personal spiritual enrichment and also equipping of born-again Christians for spiritual ministry.
The group that established the free theology training programs at ISDET strongly feels that no external agency (private or government) should be allowed to regulate or control Bible-based spiritual activities. Thus, we have never sought accreditation by private or government agencies.
Contrary to popular belief, Accreditation of a theological institution is not based upon quality of spiritual instruction alone. Rather, a large number of other factors are also taken into consideration. Most people who examine such things (for granting accreditation) may not be conservative Christians. Many of them may not even be born-again. Thus they often may demand that the syllabus conform to their policies and doctrinal position.
As a result ISDET might have to compromise on its theological stand in many areas if we opt for accreditation. Moreover, we firmly believe that secular governments have NO jurisdiction to examine/accredit bible-based theological programs. That is the reason why we wish to operate without accreditation.
Many people think that studying an accredited program will increase their job-prospects. Such people should notice that ISDET is not meant for theological training for the sake of getting jobs. Applicants whose primary purpose is to seek a job after their studies should look elsewhere for a Bible Seminary that trains people for jobs and should not look to ISDET to meet such a requirement. That is simply not part of our mission or vision.
ISDET is here to train people who are looking for spiritual self-enrichment and also for those who wish to use such a formal training in Bible and Theology for Christian ministry-related purposes. Such people look for spiritual quality of instruction and not for government accreditation of biblical and theological training programs.
What is more, it is a wrong notion that all accredited institutions maintain spiritual quality. On the contrary, you need to know that ALL theologically radical and liberal Bible seminaries worldwide tend to be accredited. This means that accreditation is not the same as spiritual quality. With that made clear, let us took at how ISDET maintains its quality.
We have built a system of multiple checks-and-balances to ensure that ISDET maintains the highest possible spiritual, theological, and academic quality. This includes a strong Statement of Doctrine, regular review of the syllabus, and also a very large international group made up of faculty members and graduates who keep assessing ISDET quality on a periodic basis. This feedback is analyzed periodically by the core group so as to ensure that quality is maintained. Thus you can be assured that we will always maintain the highest spiritual, biblical, and academic quality at any cost. What is more, all ISDET programs shall remain totally free of tuition fees.
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