Does Gilead have any accreditation?

by journey-on 29 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  journey-on

  When a witness talks about someone who has "graduated" from Gilead, they always make it sound like such an accomplishment as if they graduated from Harvard or somethin...lol

  I know it's called the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead and is located at the Watchtower Educational Center in Patterson, NY (sounds impressive, uh?).

  It used to be known as the Watchtower Bible College of Gilead in South Lansing, NY.

  Does this school have any accreditation that you know of or is it just glorified classroom training for JW "missionaries"? Do you know anybody who ever went there?

  As long as I was a witness, I never knew or thought to ask.
• 

  REBORNAGAIN

  I doubt it, anymore than our membership in the Theohypocite school was. I did put the school on my résumé's in the past to emphasize my learning how to speak in public. Yeah, Like I'm really good at that

  LINDA
• 

  sir82

  I believe it does. A family member of someone in our congregation attended in the recent past, and he was bragging about how the school is accredited. I don't know any details though.
• 

  blondie

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/135498/1.ashx/about+Gilead

  Are there tests? Yes. There is a mid-term and a final, possibly other tests. The reason is that Gilead is an accredited school recognized by the US Department of Education for the purposes of issuing F-1 visas to international students coming to the US for the school. (source: Proclaimers, page 538) Tests are graded. Can someone flunk out? I am sure if they did a really poor job they could. Those tests are designed to be passed, but not without proper study. But I am sure since Gilead is made up of married couples, they are supporting each other in their studies.
• 

  RebelWife

  I just did a search on the Department of Education's website and it didn't show up. I tried by name only and then by location.
• 

  journey-on

  RebelWife.........I had done a search also, and couldn't find any indication whatsoever Gilead had ANY accreditation.

  Blondie....Thanks for the info. You got that information from a JW publication?
• 

  VM44

  "...how the school is accredited."

  The the question is: Accredited by what agency?

  Just saying something is "accredited" doesn't mean anything at all.

  --VM44
• 

  journey-on

  Exactly VM44. Is it accredited by ANY agency? I didn't expect it to have a gov. based accreditation, so Blondie's response took me by surprise, but surely there would be

  some associative accreditation.
• 

  VM44

  I believe the Proclaimers book mentions that Gilead is accredited by the U.S. Department of Education for the purpose of issuing F-1 visas for students.

  That is probably the extent of Gilead's accreditation. Nothing at all to do with academic standards, they just registered with a government agency!

  --VM44
• 

  blondie

  ***

  jvchap.23p.538MissionariesPushWorldwideExpansion***

  International

  StudentBody

  Students who have attended Gilead School have represented scores of nationalities and have come to the school from over 110 lands.

  The first international group was the sixth class, in 1945-46.

  Application was made to the U.S. government for foreign students to be admitted under nonimmigration student visa provisions. In response, the U.S. Office of Education gave recognition to Gilead School as offering education comparable to professional colleges and educational institutions. Thus, since 1953, U.S. consuls throughout the world have had the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead on their list of approved educational institutions. As of April 30, 1954, this school appeared in the publication entitled "Educational Institutions Approved by the Attorney General."