May 2015 Vol. 3 No.5

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Degbe SK

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Review

Challenges to Accessing Higher Theological Education in Ghana: Choosing Between Accreditation and Mission

Simon K. Degbe

President, Maranatha University College, Accra, Ghana

E-mail: simonkouessandegbe@yahoo.co.uk

Accepted May 25, 2015

Abstract

Evangelical theological education in Ghana over the years had operated alongside programme and content standards of similar institutions worldwide. Students of these schools have come from diverse educational background and of varying levels of practical experience and intellectual abilities. Though the terminal points of many of such evangelical theological institutions were certificate, diploma and degree, many of their students have progressed with their studies to Master’s and Doctoral level studies both in their home countries and abroad. The institutional authority status had been enjoyed by higher evangelical theological institutions in Ghana Long before the establishment of the National Accreditation Board (NAB) to regulate tertiary institutional operations. The law that established this regulatory body among other things was to ensure conformity to entry grade requirements and programmes supervision through affiliation with older national universities. Since many of these Evangelical Colleges came under the NAB and the mentoring of public universities, their academic programmes contents, standards, and the attitudinal, moral, spiritual and intellectual requirements for pursuing evangelical theological education have being challenged in many ways. This paper focuses particularly on the case of Maranatha University College (formerly called Maranatha Bible College) and makes references to a few others being affected by the NAB regulations. The paper further argues that notwithstanding these challenges, accredited theological colleges are benefiting from public confidence, image enhancement, institutional collaborations and knowledge sharing due to accreditation. Yet the fact still remains that competent and capable minds are being disqualified from studying theology at higher levels on the grounds of needless entry requirements.

Key word: Higher theological education, affiliation and accreditation of schools and programmes, the nature of theological studies, entry requirements, theological and ministry formation, intellectual ability and capacity, special studies, potential students.