Mineola Bible Institute and Seminary (MBIS)
A secularly recognized accreditation is not necessary for the religious vocations we are training people in, which include: Biblical Studies, Christian Counseling, Theology and Ministry.
If you are pursuing education at MBIS with the intent of obtaining licensing, employment that may require secular accreditation, you should check with that organization BEFORE applying for enrollment in MBIS. MBIS assumes no responsibility or liability of any kind in these situations.
Generally, people working in ministry positions do not need a government-accredited degree. In fact, many churches and organizations take a stand against the Church voluntarily placing itself under government regulations. Individuals seeking employment in government-licensed positions such as public school teachers, state-licensed psychologists or psychiatrists, and non-church-related counselors definitely need government-recognized accredited secular degrees.
Separation of Church and State
- There is secular education and there is religious education.
- Religious institutions need no secular accreditation because they offer no secular degrees.
- Civil and religious interests are different and have separate realms of jurisdiction.
- The State is not superior to the Church. The Church need not depend upon 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.
- 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 alliance 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?
The government’s Department of Education is not qualified to accredit 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, no secular state agency can determine if a spiritually directed learning institution is meeting the mandates of the Bible!
Mineola Bible Institute and Seminary (MBIS) is not accredited, and has no plans to pursue any type of secular accreditation for the following particular reasons: (1) to keep our expenses low, enabling MBIS to maintain its very low-cost tuition rates – pursuit of secular accreditation would require a dramatic increase in costs passed on to the student; (2) to maintain doctrinal autonomy, and (3) to ensure theological and philosophical consistency with the doctrinal statement and mission of MBIS. Pursuit of accreditation would make this increasingly difficult.
Finally, we believe the quality of our programs is evident, and MBIS graduates will be distinguished by their maturity, understanding, and skill in exegetical and expositional disciplines. We believe our programs are of the highest quality, and we are committed to continuous improvement in the academic realm, and therefore we believe that prospective students or any students transferring from other institutions will be impressed by the academic standards of Mineola.
