Division of General & Theological Education (DGTE)

Accredited Theological Schools

Article Updated as of May 2011

(Note: The current National Executive Minister of DGTE was appointed by the Chief Executive Minister/President and confirmed by the National Board of Trustees in 2009.)

JUST LIKE IN the previous years, the past couple of years was a time of intentional and intensive ministry serving our pastors and churches all over the islands. We have committed ourselves to:

1. Provide quality theological training to our emerging church leaders in our formal (nine Bible schools) and non-formal schools (Pastors’ Bible School and Alliance Theological Education by Extension);
2. Participate in providing continuing education to our present church leaders;
3. Assist local churches establish and develop their church-based schools to provide basic education to children of their members and neighbors; and,
4. Spearhead the development of the curricula of our Sunday school as well as our evangelism and discipleship programs.

Since 2009, DGTE has initiated a number of significant actions which were duly approved by the NBOT, namely:

1. The new DGTE vision-mission;
2. The granting of ecclesiastical recognition (Doctorate in Christian Ministry ) to deserving individuals recommended by our Bible schools;
3. The reactivation of the faculty development programs of the Bible schools;
4. The application for accreditation to the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) to serve as Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider for the purpose of providing trainings/seminars to upgrade the   credentials of our faculty members/staff; and,
5. The rehabilitation of the Visayas Alliance School of Theology with a new Management Team  (formerly called Board of Trustees) and an OIC President-Academic Dean.

DGTE Mission-Vision (approved in principle by the NBOT, subject to a full study)

Our Vision

• We envision a comprehensive CAMACOP educational system that is evangelical in philosophy, transformational in theology, and integrated in methodology.

Our Mission (How do we realize our vision?)

• We will establish and develop an Alliance university that is rooted in a Christian worldview based on the Scriptures, and informed by the Reformed tradition and true scientific knowledge to help transform church and culture by integrating faith and life.

Our Standards

• Start the Alliance university system by establishing Ebenezer Bible College & Seminary as the main campus, with the other schools serving as branches.
• Seek government permission and accreditation by building on EBCS’s Commission on Higher Education (CHED) recognition.
• Offer not only biblical and theological degrees but also arts and science degrees, including vocational/technical courses, that integrate Christian ministry with personal and community  development.
• Also offer basic and secondary education and build on A B Simpson Alliance School’s Department of Education (DepEd) recognition.
• All our schools will offer common degree programs (pastoral and CE/RE), but each one will offer unique degree programs appropriate to its context to enhance diversity (e.g., MAABC will offer agricultural courses).
• Eventually have one school board, one president, and vice presidents heading each of the branches.
• Salaries of the president and the vice presidents will initially be sourced from the general fund of CAMACOP.

Progress Report

• EBCS is spearheading the effort to establish and develop an Alliance university since we are capitalizing on its CHED permit to operate and its recognition.
• To establish either a branch or extension classes in other Bible schools using EBCS as the main school, CHED requires Level III accreditation for EBCS from an accrediting agency (e.g., ACSCU-AAI). CHED has the same criteria for establishing a university.
• Each Bible school needs to work on its own individual permit to operate from CHED. To secure a permit to operate, three things are required:  (1) Qualified faculty line-up; (2) Adequate library holdings; and, (3) Functional laboratories.
• We have already started looking at the status of our Bible schools. We have assessed their faculty profiles, development programs, and salary ranks and rates. We have confirmed two facts: (1) Most of our Bible schools do not have permits to operate from CHED; and, (2) Most of our faculty members are not qualified to teach in accordance with CHED standards; their baccalaureate and graduate degrees are not recognized by CHED.
• Remedy: (1) Our Bible schools need to comply with CHED requirements in order to secure permits to operate; and, (2) Our teachers need to upgrade their baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Sixteen (16) of our faculty members from DABC (4), EBCS (3) and MAABC (9) are now enrolled in the upgrading program offered by EBCS.

Granting of Ecclesiastical Recognition (Doctorate in Christian Ministry)

Legal basis:
None of CAMACOP’s educational institutions would qualify to grant any of the honorary doctorate degrees outlined in the new CHED regulations (Section 113), which are decidedly academic in character.

Our considered opinion is that CAMACOP itself may grant an honorary doctorate degree, but it should be purely ecclesiastical in character, in recognition of a person’s contributions to the Christian community or to any field of Christian undertaking.
In that case, the award, it being purely ecclesiastical, is removed from the jurisdiction of CHED. Our argument is that such a recognition conferred by the denomination is not within the competence of the Commission to examine, as it pertains to matters of religion, and not to the realm of the academic.

Thus the awarded doctorate will not be any of those found in the CHED regulations; it shall be denominated as an honorary ecclesiastical Doctorate in Christian Ministry (D.C.M. [honoris ecclesia]).

It is important to note that it is CAMACOP itself that grants the award, and not any of its educational institutions, which will only serve as hosts to the conferral ceremonies. In fact, it should be the Bishop of the CAMACOP who shall formally grant the honorary ecclesiastical degree and sign the corresponding certificate. This further establishes the primarily religious nature of the grant awarded.

Having said that, we may apply by analogy CHED’s own prescriptions on the maximum number of honorary doctorates that may be given in a year by an academic institution. That is to say, the CAMACOP should give no more than two honorary ecclesiastical doctorates in a year– at least, for the time being. But this is a matter that the NBOT will have the wisdom to decide upon.

The strictest of requirements be observed when considering who ought to be given such an honor. Only the highest of standards of Christian service and scholarship should be CAMACOP’s benchmarks in this regard. A resolution to that effect must be passed by the NBOT. (Legal opinion submitted by Atty Romel Regalado Bagares)

Criteria:

• At least 50 years old
• Has ministered in church and society for not less than 20 years
• Has an earned MA, or MS, or its equivalent
• Has substantially contributed to one of our Bible schools
• Not a member of the NBOT, NEM, or related to the school at the time of the granting
• Open to Filipino & non-Filipino Evangelicals
• Highly recommended by his/her organization

The formal awarding shall be done during the graduation ceremonies of the recommending school, or during the CAMACOP General Assembly.

In the graduation season of School Year 2009-2010, CAMACOP, through Bishop Nebab, conferred the Doctor of Christian Ministry (ecclesiastical recognition) to three deserving individuals, namely:

• Rev Garrett John Coleman (recommended by Alliance Graduate School)
• Rev Ben S. Cabral (recommended by Ebenezer Bible College and Seminary)
• Dr Roberto R. Pagarigan (recommended by Davao Alliance Bible College)

This School Year 2010-2011, five more individuals have been granted the recognition, namely:

• Rev Vergil Schmidt (recommended by Alliance Graduate School)
• Rev Doan Trung Tin (recommended by Alliance Graduate School)
• Rev David Stockwell (recommended by Ebenezer Bible College and Seminary)
• Mrs Donelda Stockwell (recommended by Ebenezer Bible College and Seminary)
• Mrs Cheryle Pagarigan (recommended by Davao Alliance Bible College)

Faculty Development Program Implementing Guidelines

1. The Faculty Development Program (FDP) is available only to faculty who intend to reside in Metro Manila and study fulltime at Alliance Graduate School in Quezon City for a specific period of time.  This is open to both single and married faculty who are not more than 40 years old. (If the candidate is married, the spouse must also be qualified to study).
2. The sending school shall take the initiative of recruiting its own candidate for faculty development taking into consideration the overall health and fitness of the candidate.  The selection of the candidate must be duly approved by the school board of trustees.  Selection of candidates must be based on the need of the school.
3. The candidate must be a fulltime faculty of the sending school for not less than two (2) years.
4. In line with the move to establish and develop an Alliance university, only candidates whose baccalaureate degrees are CHED-recognized shall be entertained.
5. The candidate must secure a certification of good standing from the host district duly signed by the District Ministry Supervisor (DMS).
6. The sending school and the candidate must sign a memorandum of understanding (or scholarship contract) on mutually agreed terms.  The contract should include, but not be limited to, the following provisions:
   • that the scholar shall remain an employee of the school but on paid study leave (his/her salary will serve as the share of the sending school in the financial scheme described in item #8 below);
   • that for every year of study he/she must serve in the sending school for two (2) years;
   • that he/she must finish his/her degree program on time (Graduate Diploma in one year; MA in two years; MDiv in three years; and ThM in two years);
   • that if, for any reason, he/she is unable to finish his/her studies on time, there shall be no extension of the        scholarship grant (he/she has to finish it at his/her own expense);
   • that he/she be prohibited from shifting from one degree program to another in the course of his/her scholarship;
   • that if, for any reason, he/she opts to discontinue his/her studies, the scholarship grant shall be forfeited altogether, without any chance of getting it back; and,
   • that should he/she opt to resign or be terminated from the school, he/she must pay for the cost of the un-served portion of the scholarship grant.
7. The sending school must submit the name of its candidate to DGTE and DCM for approval not later than August in time for inclusion in the annual budget.
8. Pursuant to NBOT action, the monthly financial support of the scholar shall be shared equally by the sending school (?), DGTE (?), and the host district and/or DCM (?).  (It will cost about P30-T per month for a family of four to live in Metro Manila and study at AGS.)
9. Each sending school can send only one scholar at a time. (Initially, DGTE and DCM can fund only one scholar per cycle of two to three years). Candidates for scholarship grants shall be considered on a first-come-first-served basis.
10. To give the scholar the privilege of contributing to his/her education, he/she must pay for the cost of moving to and back from Metro Manila.

CAMACOP as CPE Provider

The application for accreditation to the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) to serve as Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider for the purpose of providing trainings/seminars to upgrade the credentials of our faculty members/staff is still in process.

Rehabilitation of the Visayas Alliance School of Theology

The new VAST Management Team is composed of the following:

• Dr. Averell U. Aragon, Chairman
• Bishop Reniel Joel A. Nebab,  Ex-officio Member
• Dr. Kenneth J. Gerada, Director, Church Planting Department
• Rev. Joseph N. Vina, Director, Department of Non-Residential Training Institutions
• Rev. Jeremiah V. Dubrico, DMS, CEBOLESA District
• Rev. Guardson C. Garcia, DMS, NEGPAS District
• Engr. Rizalito S. Casinillo, Invited Member

On the recommendation of the Management Team, the CAMACOP President appointed Julieto S Del Castillo (and confirmed by the NBOT) as Officer-in-Charge (acting as President-Academic Dean) of VAST effective April 1, 2010-March 31, 2011.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Averell U. Aragon
NEM – Division of General & Theological Education