Local Christian Institute and Seminary receives accreditation
Texas Baptist Institute & Seminary is Accredited Texas Baptist Institute and Seminary in Henderson was accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) on February 15, 2023. ABHE is a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency based in Orlando, Florida.
Texas Baptist was established in 1948, but accreditation was not seen as necessary since churches knew the school for producing quality graduates and hired its students as pastors, missionaries, music ministers, youth pastors, and for other ministry positions.
Over the years, culture dictated that going to an accredited school was necessary, so enrollment began dropping. In 2015, the pursuit of accreditation began. This achievement provides many benefits to current and future students. Accreditation makes credits and degrees more readily transferrable should they choose to continue their education at other institutions. Additionally, certain degrees will qualify graduates for things like military chaplaincy and religious or missionary visas needed to serve in foreign countries.
While much groundwork was laid in advance of officially applying, the actual pursuit was an 8-year process. This required many faculty members to pursue additional credentials and required much work in honing policies, processes, and procedures. Along with an annual visit from an ABHE representative, two different Site Visit Teams spent days on campus and reported their findings to the Commission on Accreditation.
Throughout this process, many new initiatives were put in place. The largest of these was in the area of distance learning. Both Site Visit Teams gave commendations for this program and considered it revolutionary. All classes are available in a synchronous fashion. This means online students receive the same instruction as those on campus. This program had been in place for almost two years when the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns occurred. With this system in place, instruction continued without any interruption.
Currently, degrees are available ranging from Associate to Doctorate. All degrees are a part of the accredited program. Along with general studies courses taught from a Christian worldview perspective, the degree programs prepare students for a wide range of ministry opportunities.
Being debt free and a non-profit institution allows tuition rates to be much lower than many other private higher education institutions. Their 10-acre campus is located at 1300 Longview Drive in Henderson and includes student housing. While adequate to meet the school’s current mission, efforts are underway to complete facilities master plan to allow for future growth.
Additional information about Texas Baptist can be found at www.tbi.edu or by calling 903.657.6543.
Texas Baptist Institute & Seminary press release