From a reader here.
A few short weeks
ago LCG was visited by the accreditation powers that be in an effort
to further the process of getting Doug Winnail's beloved Living
University (LU) accredited. Accreditation is a process of external quality
review used by higher education to scrutinize colleges, universities and higher
education programs for quality assurance and quality improvement. Part of this
accreditation process requires Living University to undergo a peer review of
the prepared materials and curriculum.
It would be fun to
be a fly on the wall when the reviewers get to read
about British Israelism and LCG's denial of the efficacy of carbon dating
and other archaic scientific (or non-scientific as the case may be) teachings.
If you ever want a good laugh, ask an LCG minister how dinosaurs fit into
things.
Because of the
process of accreditation, students can trust that the education they are paying
for is valuable and worth their time, money, and effort so Meredith, Winnail
and the other LU proponents are head strong about getting this validation
despite the unpleasant consequences it may bring in it's wake.
One of the biggest
complaints I hear from those in LCG is that LU classes are "too
expensive" at $300 a class. Students are only able to obtain federal financial
assistance if the institution they are attending has achieved appropriate
accreditation status from an accreditation organization recognized by the
United States Department of Education (USDE). This could be one big reason LCG
wants LU to become accredited. I can see Ol Spanky up in his ivory tower
imagining that their attendance numbers will quadruple if potential
students could only qualify for federal financial aid.
The USDE is also
concerned with factors such as a college or university's standards of student
admission and practices of student recruitment, financial well-being, and
student learning achievement outcomes. Many in the Living Church of God are
concerned that this translates into LU having to accept applications from
people "in the world"; more specifically, homosexuals, Catholics and
other people they disdain.
Will Living
University have to "water down" their fundamental teaching and become
more mainstream to satisfy reviewers and potential non-convert students? It is
certainly a concern expressed by those currently in LCG who watched
precisely that happen when they left Worldwide. Compromise for numbers is ACOG
history bound to be repeated.
Another complaint I
have heard for years from grumbling LCGers is the old adage of "freely you
have been given, so freely you should give". Many in LCG feel that LU is
in direct violation of that scripture by charging for their
"knowledge".
Still others query
as to why it is so important to replicate Ambassador College, which is clearly
Spanky's dream of dreams for LU. Did anyone graduate from AC and get a good job
as a result of THAT education? Probably not, but they sure did learn how to
step on others to exalt themselves and how to look down at others with
righteous indignation.
The number one
concern voiced in LCG about this willful push to get LU accredited is the
exorbitant cost associated with obtaining the accreditation. They have already
spent close to 1 million dollars on the accreditation process which is not yet
complete. Many on the Counsel of Elders are opposed but as usual, none of them
are really willing to make a stand for their beliefs. LCG is also
presently in the market for another piece of commercial real
estate for which to house their classrooms and LU office staff. They are
also actively shopping for condominiums which they plan to use as dormitories
for all the students they hope to entice into the fray. It's no secret that LCG
is hemorrhaging money (and members). They seem to have a smaller bottom line
with each passing year. One could speculate that that 1 million dollars worth
of tithe payer money could have so been used to "preach the gospel"
and save more people from the tribulation through conversion to LCG membership.
Ezekiel warning vs. accreditation, hmmmm tough choice. Winnail and Meredith's
full steam ahead mentality is kind of like the Titanic thinking it's
unsinkable. Is this forced accreditation the metaphorical iceberg that will
ultimately cause the impending LCG bankruptcy? Time will tell.
