Family of Faith College earns accreditation, offers distance education

Family of Faith College just north of Shawnee has received accredited status from the Association of Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), a national accrediting association recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and comprising nearly 200 postsecondary institutions throughout North America. The ABHE also approved the college for offering distance education courses.
Of the ABHE accreditation, Dr. Sam Matthews, Family of Faith president, said the national accrediting agencies are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in the same way as regional accrediting agencies are recognized.  “We are excited for us and for Shawnee,” he said. “The fact that Shawnee now has a third accredited college speaks highly of this community.” 
Matthews attended the accreditation hearing in February and called a gathering of faculty, students and church members when he heard the news. “We had the cell phone on the speaker setting, and we could all hear the shout of victory,” he said. “Students immediately began text-messaging their friends all over the world. Within one hour, I had received congratulation calls and e-mails from all around the world.” 
The approval for the administration’s request to offer its degree and certificate programs through distance education was received in June. “Because our college serves an international network of churches, it was important that we be able to take the courses to the students instead of always requiring that they move onto our campus,” Matthews said. 
Family of Faith College was founded in 1992 to train students from the ICLC network of churches. ICLC now includes more than 5,000 churches around the world. The college has graduated more than 80 students who are now ministering across the United States as well as in Japan, France, Germany, Lebanon, Malaysia and other nations. The college offers bachelor degrees with majors in ministry and education or with an emphasis in management.
While most “traditional” students come from the church network, Family of Faith began the ADVANCE degree completion program for adults in the Shawnee area. Elaine Phillips, vice president for academic affairs, said the first ADVANCE graduates were in May 2007.
“It has been exciting to enable adults to see their dreams come true,” she said. “While each one previously thought he or she would never be able to complete his degree, they are all now upwardly mobile in their careers and some are enrolled in graduate school. That’s the difference a degree makes.”
Matthews encourages people to find out more about the opportunities available through Family of Faith College. “We want to serve this geographic area in the best possible way,” he said. “I hope that high school students, home-school students and adults who never completed a degree will know that it is possible and affordable for them to get a degree.” 
Representatives from the college will be available at the Pottawatomie County Free Fair, Sept. 4-6. People can always find out more about the college programs by calling Family of Faith at 273-5331.