ALTS is currently in the process of being accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). More specifically we are in the applicant phase and moving quickly through it. This is the first of two phases with the second being the candidate phase which will then lead to full accreditation.
Accreditation is an external means of verifying institutional quality and accountability. It is utilized by other academic universities in their application processes and the United States government to determine federal aid eligibility. At its heart, accreditation requires consistent self-evaluation and improvement in order to meet the standards set forth by the accreditation agency (in our case the ABHE). Our mission is to provide the premier confessional Lutheran education accessible to the world and this process is one way in which we fulfill that duty. ALTS takes this process seriously and has committed significant attention internally to meeting and exceeding the standards set forth by ABHE.
It must also be said that accreditation is not the only measure of institutional legitimacy, academic rigor, theological acumen, or ecclesial usefulness. Even before we entered the accreditation process, ALTS had developed degree programs with structured curricula, refined learning outcomes, qualified faculty, substantial course requirements, and ongoing attention to student formation. ALTS has long been equipping saints to serve the church in a variety of vocations and has seen remarkable outcomes with its graduates. So the seminary has gladly welcomed this additional careful review of all its programs, policies, faculty, curriculum, and student outcomes. We look forward to sharing more updates with you on this front as we continue on this journey of accreditation.
ALTS serves as the theological seminary for The American Association of Lutheran Churches and has since 1988. This means that ALTS operates within the processes, oversight, and requirements established by The AALC for theological education and preparation. For those students seeking ordination into The AALC, the seminary provides theological and spiritual formation for them. When they complete their Master of Divinity degree, ALTS refers The AALC student to the appropriate boards of that denomination responsible for certification and call.
In addition, ALTS is not limited to preparing only those seeking ordination in The AALC. Our chief goal is to provide the best confessional Lutheran, theological education to any who desire it, even if they seek ordination in another church body. Each denomination has its own procedures for seeking ordination into their church body. With this in mind students seeking ordination outside The AALC are encouraged upon first inquiry to consult with their own pastors, ecclesial supervisors, and denominational officials regarding their requirements.
It is vital to note that regardless of whether one is seeking ordination into The AALC or another denomination, it is the church body’s responsibility for certification and ordination, not that of ALTS. Even within The AALC, ALTS does not grant rostered status or approvals for ordination. Our role is to provide quality theological education and spiritual formation, not to make decisions in regard to certification or ordination.
Finally, while all seminary education prepares and examines the suitability of a student for ministry, final certification for pastoral ministry is not done by ALTS, but by The AALC or the student’s respective church body into which they are seeking ordination. A Master of Divinity degree from ALTS does not guarantee rostering onto any church’s clergy roster.
While we recognize the residential seminary model has its benefits, there are many challenges to this approach. The cost of residential seminary can be extraordinary even with scholarships. Beyond the price of tuition, there is the cost of moving on campus for a few years, and then moving again for vicarage, and again when one receives a call. All of this is often prohibitive for many students.
In addition, the residential seminary approach also restricts the number of students who can receive education. There are many people in the United States and around the world who cannot access residential education for a variety of reasons. Because we are non-residential and online, we provide quality theological education and spiritual formation to students in their homes, whatever their circumstances and wherever they might be. Our online theological education has been proven to be beneficial to students across denominations, from countries around the world.
Moreover, there is also an increasing need for bi-vocational pastors, or worker-priests, as many congregations struggle to support a full-time pastor. Our non-residential, online approach, allows men to train for the Office of the Holy Ministry while at the same time having a secular vocation. To ask a future bi-vocational pastor to give up that vocation which currently supports him and his family does not care for him, and potentially harms his ability to remain in his secular vocation after ordination.
In order to accomplish our mission through this online medium, ALTS uses synchronous instruction, meaning students and professors interact with each other in real-time. These are live lectures, not prerecorded videos. Of course, our professors are also available to our students through email, phone calls, video calls, etc. Through these means we actively connect with our students and provide pastoral care to them on a daily basis. Our faculty and staff are always available. We require our Pastoral Ministry students to serve in congregations as field workers and vicars, and many therefore are under the supervision and guidance of rostered TAALC pastors. This mentorship model is historically proven and is augmented by rigorous academic training. Our theologically rigorous and spiritually formative education provides the students with a full Master of Divinity degree.
Beyond the M.Div. program, much of what has been said applies to the other academic programs we offer. With our non-residential and online approach, ALTS can provide education for clergy and laity across the world and equip them for service in the Church or in their secular vocations. It also means pastors seeking further training can remain in their calls as they pursue graduate studies. Because of the nature of our program, all of our students are free to explore and discern where God is calling them while still remaining faithful to their current responsibilities.
ALTS serves a diverse body of students. Some students are preparing for ministry or service within The AALC. Others seek confessional Lutheran theological education for service in their own church body. Still others study at ALTS purely for personal theological growth, academic development, or preparation for various vocations.
ALTS does not require students from other church bodies to become members of The AALC, nor does it require graduates of our Pastoral Ministry program to seek ministry in The AALC. When students are under the care or supervision of another church body, ALTS encourages them to consult with their own pastors and denominational leadership. We act transparently and responsibly, recognizing that theological education and ecclesial oversight are related but distinct matters.
It must be acknowledged that some students who come to ALTS from other church bodies do, over the course of their studies, discern a call to ministry or membership within The AALC. ALTS does not recruit for this outcome, encourage it, or take institutional credit for it. Such discernment belongs to the student, his pastor, and the Holy Spirit. When a student does discern such a call, ALTS treats that decision the way any seminary serving multiple ecclesial constituencies would: we honor it as the student’s own and continue providing the theological education for which the student enrolled.
Our desire is to provide faithful theological education to those who seek it, not to compete with other church bodies or seminaries. This is Christ’s call to our seminary and we will perform this vocation to the best of our ability.