A Scourge Of Suspect Credentials And Phony Degrees Is Sweeping Through The Church

by Bill Alnor
http://www.cultlink.com

It has become rampant within evangelicalism, and especially within the Pentecostal and charismatic traditions. According to Christian Sentinel publisher Bill Alnor, evidence of this is abundant. One can open their latest copy of Charisma magazine and check the upcoming conferences splashed across its pages and note the names of many leaders calling themselves doctors.  However, many do not hold earned degrees. Charisma along with many other publications, have a long time practice of selling ad space to questionable organizations in the degree and credential selling business, including even ministry ordinations for sale. 

Additionally, Alnor notes, walk into a Christian bookstore, especially one carrying books from charismatic/Pentecostal writers and check out the titles. It turns out that many of the Christian authors claiming to be "doctors," hold no doctoral degree (such as a Ph.D., Th.D. D.Min., Ed.D., etc.) from a regionally accredited university at all. Some of these "doctors" have not even attended a day of college.  Others have not completed a two-year's associate's degree or a four-year bachelor's degree. 

These "Christian" leaders are deceptive and are knowingly bearing false witness. "They know what they are doing; they insist on calling themselves `doctors' to imply scholarship and professional credibility," Alnor said.  "Some of them also know what the truth often is: they are not capable of doing doctoral work even if they were admitted into a legitimate doctoral program. They are just blowhards who puff themselves up, trying to impress their audiences." 

Of course, self-aggrandizing behavior similar to this is denounced in Scripture, Alnor said. We are challenged to be humble servants, even "slaves of Christ." Paul warns us to not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, and Jesus denounced the self-promoting behavior of the doctors of the law and the scribes repeatedly in the gospels, with one of his most stunning rebukes located in Luke 20:46-47.

Sadly, this has affected some of those involved in apologetics and discernment ministries, who are supposed to serve as the eyes of purity in doctrinal and moral issues within the church. Some very prominent apologists writing books do not have accredited doctorates, yet they are referred to as "doctors." On July 14 in a Southwest Radio Church broadcast dealing with apostasy in the church, Dr. Larry Spargimino exposed some of the facts about prominent apologist and author James White of Arizona. The show stated that White’s degree is from an "unaccredited correspondence school" -- the Columbia Evangelical Seminary that has "no library," "no curriculum committee," "no bookstore," and has "no course review procedures." The broadcast claimed that many of those holding phony degrees do so for "purely mercenary motivations." "Fake degrees are a betrayal of the public's trust.... These degrees aren't worth the paper they are printed on. You don't want someone with a fake degree working in Homeland security, teaching your children and designing your bridges." To listen to the broadcast go to http://www.swrc.com/broadcasts/2004/july.htm, click on July 14 and go to the very end of the broadcast.

It is interesting to note that while White’s website http://www.aomin.org repeatedly lists his title as "Dr." James White (as he also identifies himself on his radio broadcast), White's evangelical publisher refuses to list him as "Dr." on one of his recent books.  White has addressed this issue on his web site, defending his credentials and has privately corresponded with Bill Alnor about it some time ago.  However, Alnor found his explanations to be woefully inadequate.  Nevertheless, he is now publicly giving White a chance to respond, and he will reproduce White's answers in a future E-update without editing his response as long as White answers all the questions.

Click here to see Bill's questions he has presented to White.  Bill would also place on the record that he has a high esteem for much of White's work, particularly in the areas of the "King James Only" debate and "Roman Catholicism."

The irony of it is that Noah Hutchings, the host of the regular Southwest Radio Church (SWRC) broadcast that blasted him on July 14, has made false, grandiose claims about himself.  Hutchings, the president of the ministry that boasts of being the "watchman on the wall,"  claims the title of "pastor," but he also claims to be "Doctor" Hutchings. The "Dr." title is bestowed on him repeatedly throughout the ministry's website http://www.swrc.com, and even graces the covers of some of his published books under the by-line "Dr. Noah Hutchings." Yet he is not a doctor and holds no earned graduate degrees at all.  What makes it even more hypocritical is that on June 15, the day after his attack on White's educational credentials, Larry Spargimino publicly referred to Hutchings as "Dr." on the broadcast. 

Additionally, the SWRC carries many editorial products that make sensational and wild, false claims written by a slew of men and women with suspect doctorates and credentials.  Frequently SWRC's daily broadcast features radio guests holding phony degrees.  (Bill Alnor would also like to place on the record that he has no esteem for the ministry of Southwest Radio Church, which he deems to be untrustworthy and a waste of listener's contributions to keep on the air.)

When Bill Alnor called Hutchings several weeks ago to discuss the issue Hutchings conceded that he holds no earned doctorate, but instead has a bachelor's degree in accounting from a university in Oklahoma. However, Hutchings said he holds two honorary doctorates from St. Charles school in California and American Christian University in Oklahoma City, both of which do not hold regional accreditation. Although Alnor did not check these claims out by press time, he has long noted that Hutchings is a long time veteran of dishonest reporting and sensationalism as reported his 1989 book, Soothsayers of the Second Advent.  Alnor referred to the SWRC as "The National Enquirer of Christianity." 

Continue to Part 2