“Sighted Seminary, Sank Same”
Lt. Cmdr. Lance Rogers, MD, Flight Surgeon: [Sarcastically] What's your school? The diploma mill of Hoosier State?
Lt. Douglas S. 'Doug' Lee, MD: No, Harvard, Hopkins, Cambridge. I can read and write.
-Ralph Bellamy and Errol Flynn, Dive Bomber (1941)
Well, Toads and Toadettes,
Here is the first round in the Dr. Toad’s Seminary Survey! An alert leader has written us concerning both the Evangelical Episcopal Theological Seminary (no location listed)
and its “accrediting” body the Oxford Educational Network
You can find the seminary here http://www.theceec.org/seminary.htm and the Oxford Educational Network here (http://www.oxfordeducationalnetwork.org/members.htm)
Or, at least you could last night.
Our correspondent writes that “EETS” (what an acronym!) “exists only in the mind of The Most Rev. Dr. Russ McClanahan, president of the school.” Abp. McClanahan apparently serves as archbishop for the “extra-territorial” Province of St. Peter of the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches (CEEC). We are told that this particular prelate also was the most recent presiding bishop of the CEEC until he resigned and the entire “International College of Archbishops” took over the presiding bishop role. Archbishop McClanahan previously held his see in Memphis, Tennessee, but moved to Florida last year.
Lt. Cmdr. Lance Rogers, MD, Flight Surgeon: [Sarcastically] What's your school? The diploma mill of Hoosier State?
Lt. Douglas S. 'Doug' Lee, MD: No, Harvard, Hopkins, Cambridge. I can read and write.
-Ralph Bellamy and Errol Flynn, Dive Bomber (1941)
Well, Toads and Toadettes,
Here is the first round in the Dr. Toad’s Seminary Survey! An alert leader has written us concerning both the Evangelical Episcopal Theological Seminary (no location listed)
and its “accrediting” body the Oxford Educational Network
You can find the seminary here http://www.theceec.org/seminary.htm and the Oxford Educational Network here (http://www.oxfordeducationalnetwork.org/members.htm)
Or, at least you could last night.
Our correspondent writes that “EETS” (what an acronym!) “exists only in the mind of The Most Rev. Dr. Russ McClanahan, president of the school.” Abp. McClanahan apparently serves as archbishop for the “extra-territorial” Province of St. Peter of the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches (CEEC). We are told that this particular prelate also was the most recent presiding bishop of the CEEC until he resigned and the entire “International College of Archbishops” took over the presiding bishop role. Archbishop McClanahan previously held his see in Memphis, Tennessee, but moved to Florida last year.
The seminary, which appears to be peripatetic, traveled with its president. It is currently is listed as being located at 2807 Trebark Drive, Tallahassee, FL, which corresponds to the Intelius® white pages listing for the archbishop’s personal address and is likely his home home.
The writer goes on to advise that “EETS has no known faculty other than the archbishop.” It claims to be “accredited” by an outfit called the Oxford Educational Network, an organization which no one who hasn’t paid $2,500 for “accreditation” has ever heard of.
Let’s stop for a moment, boys and girls, and have bit of a peek under the kilt of the OEN. A cursory look shows that the Oxford Educational Network does not appear to be an authentic accrediting body. Pony up that $2500 and you're a member. Pay $1000 per annum and you can stay a member. (Presumably this is a modest investment to put the veneer of respectability on that table-top seminary. The web page gives a long and nifty history of Cardinal Wolsey, Wolsey House and Oxford University, but we can’t find any whiff of an actual connection either to the late Cardinal or the institutions. They give an impressive list of the real Oxford's University colleges, but then they note that "in their entirety, these Colleges are not members of Oxford Educational Network." Whoah, there! Fraud alert! Fraud alert!
Curiously, there is no information on the site as to where Oxford Educational Network has headquarters or offices. That makes it easier to keep unwanted visitors like process servers and members of the constabulary from disturbing all of that accreditation going on during the work day.
Like most other diploma mills, EETS seems to be heavy on tuition payments, light on academic requirements and has a soupcon of bogus accreditation tossed in to improve the bouquet. Bottom line: this is an institution that trips virtually all of the triggers in Dr. Toad’s Fake Seminary Fraudulizer.™
Anyone wanting to rise to the defense is welcome to post a comment. Or, if you just want to pile on, you can have at it as well. Just remember, threats, obscenities, rants and excited utterances all will be read—not necessarily posted, mind you, but carefully read and savored. The Toad doesn’t have much in the way of hobbies.
Yr. Obed. Serv.,
R. Toad, DD, LSMFT
The writer goes on to advise that “EETS has no known faculty other than the archbishop.” It claims to be “accredited” by an outfit called the Oxford Educational Network, an organization which no one who hasn’t paid $2,500 for “accreditation” has ever heard of.
Let’s stop for a moment, boys and girls, and have bit of a peek under the kilt of the OEN. A cursory look shows that the Oxford Educational Network does not appear to be an authentic accrediting body. Pony up that $2500 and you're a member. Pay $1000 per annum and you can stay a member. (Presumably this is a modest investment to put the veneer of respectability on that table-top seminary. The web page gives a long and nifty history of Cardinal Wolsey, Wolsey House and Oxford University, but we can’t find any whiff of an actual connection either to the late Cardinal or the institutions. They give an impressive list of the real Oxford's University colleges, but then they note that "in their entirety, these Colleges are not members of Oxford Educational Network." Whoah, there! Fraud alert! Fraud alert!
Curiously, there is no information on the site as to where Oxford Educational Network has headquarters or offices. That makes it easier to keep unwanted visitors like process servers and members of the constabulary from disturbing all of that accreditation going on during the work day.
Like most other diploma mills, EETS seems to be heavy on tuition payments, light on academic requirements and has a soupcon of bogus accreditation tossed in to improve the bouquet. Bottom line: this is an institution that trips virtually all of the triggers in Dr. Toad’s Fake Seminary Fraudulizer.™
Anyone wanting to rise to the defense is welcome to post a comment. Or, if you just want to pile on, you can have at it as well. Just remember, threats, obscenities, rants and excited utterances all will be read—not necessarily posted, mind you, but carefully read and savored. The Toad doesn’t have much in the way of hobbies.
Yr. Obed. Serv.,
R. Toad, DD, LSMFT
2 comments:
The good doctor's line of Apostolic Succession "wanders" a bit, to put it politely. Fascinating stuff....
Do you suppose these "schools" would be willing to bid against one another for their "degrees" I mean mabye the TOad could act as a clearing house- kind of like the Lending Tree Commercial where the bakers line up to get the apllicants business.
I would really like to have a degree in theology ('armchair' theology is my specialty) and am willing to offer 1.99. to any of the Anglican seminaries out there. Please let the Toad know if you are interested. I will expect his commision to come out of the 1.99 I think that is only fair since a piece of paper costs about .011 cents. That is a staggering profit even after ink costs!
O one last thing, as a perk of these seminaries does one get to where a snazzy sweater with a big letter on it?
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