European Theological Seminary and College of the Bible International
Encyclopedia
The European Theological Seminary and College of the Bible International is an unaccredited
fundamentalist Christian
college
based in Northern Ireland
and Birmingham
, England
. It has no buildings and is operated from the home of its founder and president, Gordon Beck.
, a Christian college in Newburgh, Indiana
. Mr Beck is named as the college's President, Founder and Convener of the Board of Examiners.
Upon the announcement of the government investigation, the college's website (http://web.archive.org/web/20061213145849/http://www.europeantheologicalacademie.co.uk/) ceased to be accessible.
", an unnamed "graduate" of ETSCBI who alleged that he had been awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree in September 2001 for a dissertation completed in six weeks, for a cost of £500 (UK sterling), and with no supervision provided by the college. He claimed that Gordon Beck had examined the dissertation in a 20-minute interview conducted at Mr Beck's home on the outskirts of Belfast
, having never had sight of the work in advance of the interview. The student was told at the interview that he was to be awarded the PhD degree and was subsequently mailed a degree certificate. Mr Beck was interviewed on the same programme and acknowledged that ETSCBI kept no accounts and had no treasurer; and that the student had been awarded the degree in the timescale alleged. Mr Beck also confirmed that he had never studied at any recognised university or college and that his only degrees were from unaccredited correspondence colleges.
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...
fundamentalist 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...
college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
based in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It has no buildings and is operated from the home of its founder and president, Gordon Beck.
Foundation
ETSCBI was founded in 1993 by Gordon Beck, a Scotsman who has lived in Northern Ireland for most of his life. Mr Beck describes himself as "Professor Dr", even though he has never taught at any established college or seminary and his theological education is entirely self-taught. He claims to have earned a doctor of philosophy degree from Trinity College and SeminaryTrinity College and Seminary
Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary, also known as Trinity College of the Bible; is a nondenominational Bible college and seminary located in Newburgh, Indiana. Trinity offers unaccredited distance education programs at undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree levels for...
, a Christian college in Newburgh, Indiana
Newburgh, Indiana
Newburgh is a town in Ohio Township, Warrick County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 3,325 at the 2010 census, which also recorded a population of 342,815 for the entire Evansville metropolitan area.-Geography:...
. Mr Beck is named as the college's President, Founder and Convener of the Board of Examiners.
UK government investigation
In May 2007, following complaints about the quality of ETSCBI degrees and a BBC investigation, Trading Standards, a division of the UK government's Department of Trade and Industry, announced that it had initiated an investigation into the quality of the degrees offered by the college.Upon the announcement of the government investigation, the college's website (http://web.archive.org/web/20061213145849/http://www.europeantheologicalacademie.co.uk/) ceased to be accessible.
BBC investigation
On 27 May 2007, BBC Northern Ireland's Sunday Sequence programme broadcast the findings of an investigation into the European Theological Seminary and College of the Bible International. This included an interview with a "whistleblowerWhistleblower
A whistleblower is a person who tells the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government department, a public or private organization, or a company...
", an unnamed "graduate" of ETSCBI who alleged that he had been awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree in September 2001 for a dissertation completed in six weeks, for a cost of £500 (UK sterling), and with no supervision provided by the college. He claimed that Gordon Beck had examined the dissertation in a 20-minute interview conducted at Mr Beck's home on the outskirts of Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, having never had sight of the work in advance of the interview. The student was told at the interview that he was to be awarded the PhD degree and was subsequently mailed a degree certificate. Mr Beck was interviewed on the same programme and acknowledged that ETSCBI kept no accounts and had no treasurer; and that the student had been awarded the degree in the timescale alleged. Mr Beck also confirmed that he had never studied at any recognised university or college and that his only degrees were from unaccredited correspondence colleges.