Journal: Conservative Theological Journal
Volume: CTJ 04:11 (Apr 2000)
Article: Accredited-By Whom? Accredited By God
Author: Earnest Campbell

CTJ 4:11 (April 2000) p. 98

Accredited-By Whom?
Accredited By God

Earnest Campbell

Canyonview Bible Seminary
Silverton, OR 97381

Prior To Accreditation

Since we are living in days when many colleges and seminaries are using the word “accreditation” as a facade to attract naive students, the time has come to distinguish between sham and real scholarship.

In 1937, when I was wondering which seminary I should attend, accreditation was never an issue. There was a reason; to my knowledge, no such thing existed among fundamental Bible teaching seminaries. Those were days when we were just beginning to descend from the peak of an exciting Bible teaching era in this country! It was a time when new fundamental seminaries, which held that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, were raised up by the Lord. These were days when Godly men and women separated themselves from religious liberalism and took an uncompromising stand for the, Truth of the Word of God.

The seminaries during this time were vitally interested in preparing their students to stand against liberalism’s onslaught against the Gospel of Christ. There was a great need for Biblical apologetics, defending the truth of the Word of God against the liberalism of humanists. This was a period when men had strong convictions about what the Bible taught, their denominational distinctives, etc., which were not conducive to being a part of a diverse accrediting association.

The Beginning

In the process of time, about 1944, the National Association of Evangelicals was organized in Chicago. This organization encompassed all denominations and groups, which subscribed to a brief statement of faith. This basis for determining membership in a group was destined to be a forerunner of how accrediting associations would be organized in the future. From its inception this association consisted of many diverse and different views on what the Bible teaches. Due to this broad diversity many believers refrained from joining this organization.

We must keep in mind that the main reason for organizing the N.A.E. was that evangelical Christians might have a united voice in dealing with the Federal Government. This, in turn, made numbers important,

CTJ 4:11 (April 2000) p. 99

hence, a great diversity of doctrinal views. We are thankful for the positive things that the N.A.E. has accomplished.

With positives there often come negatives. The need to replace defunct organizations which had succumbed to liberalism spawned the N.A.E. This occurred concurrently with a growing trend toward evangelical ecumenism. The N.A.E. served as a catalyst of the mindset of that time. It became a prototype and model f...