Peter,
There is another factor to consider in the Latin american context. It is still true in most countries south of Rio Grande that protestan christians (“evangelicos”) are seen and treated as second rate citizen. It is also true that many of the members of such churches come from the lower classes (the class system being very important also) so they feel prejudiced against because they are poor and because they are not catholic. So society´s recognition is a big issue for many. However, as understandable as this is, it is also dangerous, because it can lead to compromising the gospel in order to receive that recognition. So, is accreditation good and desirable ?. Yes, in that it will allow people opportunities for ministry that would otherwise be closed. But often there comes a point when that accreditation may require somebody else dictating what and how you teach. At that point gospel integrity and the quality of theological education must come first.

To complicate matters, ministry is for many a job opportunity first and the possibility of climbing up the social ladder, so we must be careful not to encourage that. We should want a theological education that prepares people for gospel ministry, people who are willing to make sacrifices in order to advance the kingdom and not themselves.

Stephen - just a bit of thinking out loud here. I wonder if we rightly value the bit of paper when it comes to theological education, because we highly value careful study and teaching of the word. Just as when we have heart surgery we don’t want someone who has just picked up a few things along the way, when we are taught week in and week out from the Bible, we want people who know what they are doing - and that takes time and study.

Of course the analogy breaks down because the word of God is powerful and we want people everywhere to be reading it, sharing it and explaining it to others - for which you do not need a piece of paper. But to study the word full time or part time for a few years is a great advantage and I guess is recognised by the piece of paper which comes from the study.

I think one major difference between your average ‘tertiary degree’ and a theological qualification, is that the tertiary degree is about a knowledge base being gained. There is no need to change your personality or life along the way.

However with theological education, its not just a matter of knowledge transfer, but personal transformation. Theological education is about learning Greek and history and all that, but just as importantly its about being shaped for a lifetime of service. This is take the form of personal as well as skills shaping. So perhaps the piece of paper is not the only ‘mark of respectability’, but if it is in the hands (or on the wall) of someone whose life is shaped by the gospel and who is active in ministry it is a good recommendation.

What do you think?