American Association of Christian Colleges and Seminaries
Encyclopedia
The American Association of Christian Colleges and Seminaries, Inc. is an organization of Bible college
s and Christian
universities and seminaries in the continental United States and Puerto Rico
. According to AACCS, all of its member institutions are "clearly identified with the historic Christian fundamentalist tradition."
The AACCS was originally established in 1985 as an informal division of the American Association of Christian Schools
, with which it maintains a continuing relationship. In 1990 the group adopted the name American Association of Christian Colleges and Seminaries, and the AACCS was officially incorporated as an organization in January 2005. As of November 2007, there were 23 member institutions in the AACCS.
The AACCS website states that the organization's services include providing a network for professional training in administrative principles of higher education
and providing support for the evaluation of academic progress. Educational accreditation
is not among the listed services.
To qualify for membership, institutions must subscribe to a statement of faith
whose provisions include the inerrancy of the Bible; belief in creation
, not evolution; belief in the Incarnation
, the Virgin Birth
, and the deity
of Jesus Christ; belief in the necessity of the New Birth; and belief in salvation by grace through faith
. Additionally, the AACCS asserts that associations with the World Council of Churches
, the National Council of Churches
, the modern charismatic movement
, the ecumenical movement, and new evangelicalism are "contradictory to the mandates of Scripture and inconsistent with[AACCS' purposes] ."
Bible college
Bible colleges are institutions of higher education that specialize in biblical studies. Curriculum is Bible-based and differs from that of liberal arts colleges or research universities. Bible colleges generally exclude the study of philosophy, unlike seminaries and theological colleges...
s and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
universities and seminaries in the continental United States and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. According to AACCS, all of its member institutions are "clearly identified with the historic Christian fundamentalist tradition."
The AACCS was originally established in 1985 as an informal division of the American Association of Christian Schools
American Association of Christian Schools
The American Association of Christian Schools is a United States organization, based in East Ridge, Tennessee, that unifies individual Christian schools and statewide Christian school associations across the country for the purpose of accreditation, competition, and group benefits.-State...
, with which it maintains a continuing relationship. In 1990 the group adopted the name American Association of Christian Colleges and Seminaries, and the AACCS was officially incorporated as an organization in January 2005. As of November 2007, there were 23 member institutions in the AACCS.
The AACCS website states that the organization's services include providing a network for professional training in administrative principles of higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
and providing support for the evaluation of academic progress. Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
is not among the listed services.
To qualify for membership, institutions must subscribe to a statement of faith
Statement of faith
A statement of faith is a statement of the core beliefs of a religious group.A typical statement of faith is said to be a non-comprehensive summary of the core beliefs of a particular faith within a tradition . Even religious organizations without affiliation will use a statement of faith for...
whose provisions include the inerrancy of the Bible; belief in creation
Creationism
Creationism is the religious beliefthat humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic god. As science developed from the 18th century onwards, various views developed which aimed to reconcile science with the Genesis...
, not evolution; belief in the Incarnation
Incarnation (Christianity)
The Incarnation in traditional Christianity is the belief that Jesus Christ the second person of the Trinity, also known as God the Son or the Logos , "became flesh" by being conceived in the womb of a woman, the Virgin Mary, also known as the Theotokos .The Incarnation is a fundamental theological...
, the Virgin Birth
Virgin Birth
The virgin birth of Jesus is a tenet of Christianity and Islam which holds that Mary miraculously conceived Jesus while remaining a virgin. The term "virgin birth" is commonly used, rather than "virgin conception", due to the tradition that Joseph "knew her not till she brought forth her firstborn...
, and the deity
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
of Jesus Christ; belief in the necessity of the New Birth; and belief in salvation by grace through faith
Sola fide
Sola fide , also historically known as the doctrine of justification by faith alone, is a Christian theological doctrine that distinguishes most Protestant denominations from Catholicism, Eastern Christianity, and some in the Restoration Movement.The doctrine of sola fide or "by faith alone"...
. Additionally, the AACCS asserts that associations with the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
, the National Council of Churches
National Council of Churches
The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA is an ecumenical partnership of 37 Christian faith groups in the United States. Its member denominations, churches, conventions, and archdioceses include Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, African American, Evangelical, and historic peace...
, the modern charismatic movement
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
, the ecumenical movement, and new evangelicalism are "contradictory to the mandates of Scripture and inconsistent with