More Canadian religious leaders with connections to diploma mills and unearned doctorates at Bene Diction Blogs On

More Canadian religious leaders with connections to diploma mills and unearned doctorates

Top leaders of a conservative activist group often quoted in Canadian media as representing Judeo-Christian moral values pad their resumes with degrees from unaccredited schools.

…Also on the faculty at Victory Bible Colleges are George and Hazel Hill, co-founders of Victory Churches International, a church-planting organization that sponsors Victory Bible Colleges in the Americas, Asia and Africa.

EthicsDaily.com reported last month that Charles McVety, identified as one of Canada’s leading culture warriors in the fight against gay marriage, received his doctorate from California State Christian University, an unaccredited extension of a Korean seminary affiliated with Victory Bible Colleges International.

The organization’s co-founder and executive director is Brian Rushfeldt, a former pastor who acquired his theology degree by correspondence from Canada Christian College McVety is president of Canada Christian College, which works closely with Liberty University and Oral Roberts University in the United States.

Rushfeldt is former dean of Victory Bible Colleges International, which enrolls a reported 100 full-time students both on and off campus and 200 “distance learning students.” The current dean is George Madden, an apostolic minister with degrees from Rhema Bible Training Center, a non-accredited school associated with Kenneth Hagin Ministries in Tulsa, Okla.

Madden got his master of divinity degree from Victory Bible Colleges International and a doctorate from the Evangelical Order of Certified Pastoral Counselors, which awards degrees through Victory Bible College in Canada and California State Christian University in the United States. California State Christian University, an American extension of Tae Han Theological Seminary and College in Seoul, South Korea, is not listed in a Council for Higher Education Accreditation database of institutions recognized by U.S. accrediting agencies. One of the contacts listed for the EOCPC is Stephen Hambly, who is dean of psychology and counseling at Victory Bible Colleges International.

The rest here: Academic Credentials of Conservative Canadian Leaders Questioned

Ethics Daily, a US Baptist Ethics publication providing a centrist ethical framework with a strong moral witness and cutting edge cultural analysis has done an outstanding job of pointing out some of Canada’s religious right leaders propensity to honour themselves with ‘doctorates.’ Along with progressive bloggers and a couple of faith bloggers willing to speak up and help dig up the information, we continue to encourage Canadian media to stop using the term ‘Doctor’ for these men.

I want to thank our US friends for their willingness to do the work on this and to stand with those of us trying to get the word out, use of diploma mills, and honourary degrees awarded to a cliche of fundamentalist friends in Canada is not acceptable to the average person of faith.

There has been nothing from media, nothing I can find from Canadian religious organizations speaking up on fake honoraries and diploma mills. This goes to the credibility of all of us willing to look the other way. These ‘bible colleges’ are not accountable to accrediting agencies, provincial departments; these doctorates and their ties to diploma mills not touchable as far as I know by any educational or government agency. This is our shame. Brian Rushfeldt of Canada Family Action Coalition was emailed, phoned, and a Calgarian showed up at the office. He received no response.

This is not being out to ‘get’ people, this is not mockery of faith; this is about asking the hard questions about why Canadian religious leaders believe or feel it’s okay to use dubious and false credentials, to by-pass ethics and harm the credibility of Canadian Christianity. This is our shame.

California State Christian University (with thanks to achievable ends, Culture Choc, Mark Peterson, The Heresy, unrepentant old hippie, The Galloping Beaver)

fun with Charles and no staffers get expelled

(Dr?) Charles McVety/Dr. Brian Rushfeldt – what’s a few degrees between friends (with thanks to Red Tory 2.0, Canuck Attitude)

The harm of diploma mills

How Charles McVety moves money (thanks to Shuffl)

Blogs Canada got the information on McVety’s political cybersquatting into the spotlight, MP Garth Turner pointed out the political aspirations of the Canadian religious right.

gallery: Canada Family Action Coalition, Calgary: Canada Christian College, Toronto, California State Christian University, Los Angeles; Victory College International, Calgary. Not available: Evangelical Order of Pastoral Counsellors, Burlington; Rhema Bible School, Oklahoma; St. Petersburg, Russia; Wagner Leadership Institute, Red Deer.

Canadian traditional media which has used or is using Dr for: Charles McVety, Brian Rushfeldt, George Madden, Stephen Hambly, George and Hazel Hill, etc. Globe and Mail, CBC, Toronto Star, Canada Free Press, Canada.com

“Many tender-minded Christians fear to sin against love by daring to inquire into anything that comes wearing the cloak of Christianity and breathing the name of Jesus. They dare not examine the credentials of the latest prophet to hit their town lest they be guilty of rejecting something which may be of God.

They timidly remember how the Pharisees refused to accept Christ when He came, and they do not want to be caught in the same snare, so they either reserve judgment or shut their eyes and accept everything without question. This is supposed to indicate a high degree of spirituality. But in sober fact it indicates no such thing. It may indeed be evidence of the absence of the Holy Spirit.

Gullibility is not synonymous with spirituality. Faith is not a mental habit leading its possessor to open his mouth and swallow everything that has about it the color of the supernatural.

Faith keeps its heart open to whatever is of God, and rejects everything that is not of God, however wonderful it may be. A. W. Tozer

Published 1 year, 6 months ago 14 comments

14 Responses to “More Canadian religious leaders with connections to diploma mills and unearned doctorates”

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1 Benjamin Allison on Jul 28th, 2008 at 6:34 am

Despicable! I don’t think there’s any place for false credentials in the church. If there’s one thing we expect from church leaders it’s honesty.

How do you feel, though, about having no credentials? For the most part we are to judge by the fruit. The apostles and Church fathers didn’t go to seminary per se… neither did Christ. I’m a very big supporter of those who, through discipline, faithfulness, and self-directed education, are able to transform God’s kingdom.
2 Bene D on Jul 28th, 2008 at 10:56 am

I think there is a big difference between fake credentials and no credentials.

We are to look at fruit – what do we see here?
Some with valid undergrad degrees they worked hard for who now chose to add to their resumes because they want to and can.
These leaders are willfully in the Canadian public arena.

I agree the Body has people with no credentials who are called to leadership, we are gifted for different tasks. In a case like that, isn’t it our responsibility to provide an education if the person is going to take a leadership position?

We are willing to bring worthy students to Canada just for that reason, why do we look away at those who advance themselves with fakery?

Paul, Moses, many were well-educated. We are all part of building the kingdom of God, diploma mills and fake honouraries held by leadership have to do vanity, lack of transparency and dishonesty and harms us all.
3 Benjamin Allison on Jul 29th, 2008 at 4:50 am

Perfect response – we’re all responsible to make sure those with a calling are educated, and though that doesn’t necessitate having the piece of paper, certainly lying about having it is destructive and exceedingly unGodly. As you said it harms us all.

Thanks for this post brother.
4 Matthew John on Jul 29th, 2008 at 3:48 pm

Very sad, seems perhaps lying on resumes/diploma mills are not just something plaguing Fortune 500 companies.

Hit close to home few years ago, CEO of Bausch and Lomb had lied 30 years ago about an entry level position.
5 Will on Feb 5th, 2009 at 3:17 pm

I would like to think that people have the appropiate credentials of what they are representing. But it is even worse (in my thinking) of those who have appropiate credentials who deny biblical truths. I would rather sit under an individual who say, went to Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Ok (which is non-accredited) who believes the Bible. Than a Harvard Divinity School graduate who plays fast and loose with the biblical text. Also if you would study which school has put out anointed leaders in the Christian church the last 35 years, you might be surprised. Rhema has training centers all over the world, leading people to Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. They are not arguing the existence of God, their graduates demonstrate it by bringing hope, help, and healing. Living Faith is a part and parcel of their practice.
6 not available on May 6th, 2009 at 5:23 pm

How many Harvard Divinity Schools in all over the world? How many UBC School of Theology are in all over the world? Etc….How many of the Harvard Divinity School or UBC School of Theology etc… graduates are bringing souls in the kingdom of God? And how many are they bringing hope, help and healing to the hearted world? The bible said For our gospel did not come to you in word only but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance. Please don’t brag only mental knowledge there is more than that. World needs Jesus. Also you mention Moses and Paul, Brother; Moses is not brought out Israel from slavery by his education, but by the power of God. And Paul didn’t meet Jesus by His education. Paul said that, “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Please demonstrate your education in Love not criticizing others who is working hard to the kingdom of God.
7 Bene D on May 6th, 2009 at 11:03 pm

What does what you say have to do with diploma mills?
8 jacques marinier on Jul 20th, 2009 at 4:45 pm

jesus called to save sinner, to repent, and change hower lives
he gave all believer the title king and preist to the glory of god.
degree are no good the bible tells they will be thought of god
and not schools or man if we need a degree to pearch the gospel
then will somebody check if jesus or is apostles have then. degree
and biblical schools are made of men an not god or jesus christ.
9 Mark Byron on Jul 21st, 2009 at 4:03 pm

Coming from within academe, I can see where an unaccredited college could still do a good job in teaching folks in religious areas. I could take six graduate theology classes at Asbury Seminary in metro Lexington and be street-legal to teach theology at any college in the country, since you only need 18 graduate hours in the field in question and a master’s degree (I already have an MBA and a doctorate in Finance, so I don’t need a M.Div or M.Th). It is a thought I have played with, and may do that in the near future once things start to settle down at Sullivan.

Would I be a better teacher of the Bible than a veteran pastor with just a bachelor’s degree from a church college? Probably not. I might have a few extra tricks of the trade as a teacher, but the veteran pastor will likely have more pastoral experience than I.

Many of the people you rail against are in the charismatic camp; outside of the AoG, there aren’t too many accredited advanced-degree offering schools of a charismatic nature. Part of the reason is that it’s hard to find a charismatic with an accredited advanced degree, since they’ll have to get it from a non-charismatic college.

I’m with you on the honorary degree front, but you can have a solid college experience at an unaccredited school; just know that you’re not going to be able to use that credential in a secular universe.
10 Bene D on Jul 21st, 2009 at 9:51 pm

I was going to ask what good a degree is if you can’t use it anywhere except in an independent church, but this seems to be a well established and accepted practise. People who see a secular education or an education at an accredited college or seminary as outside their camp wouldn’t care as long as they are accepted and possibly paid by their tribe.

Doesn’t change the proliferation of diploma mills though.
11 William on Aug 21st, 2009 at 10:22 pm

Are the schools you mentioned diploma mills or unaccredited? There is a big difference between a diploma mill and being unaccredited.

“I would rather sit under an individual who say, went to Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Ok (which is non-accredited) who believes the Bible. Than a Harvard Divinity School graduate who plays fast and loose with the biblical text.”Will on Feb 5th, 2009 at 3:17 pm

I agree completely with this statement. Let’s see what they are doing not what they say they are doing.
12 Bene D on Aug 22nd, 2009 at 9:07 am

Canada Christian College is accredited, Victory isn’t.

Others I’ve posted on run the same gamet from diploma mills to unacredited.

As for unaccredited, depends on what you want the education for, if you want to use a degree, why spend money for a degree which is not recognized? As for a diploma mill why buy or be given a degree which has no worth?