Pastors With Fake Degrees
Robert Hahn’s educational background was discussed in Part 7 of the blog. However, at the June 6th meeting, it was reported that Hahn stated he had an MDiv degree, though he neglected to mention from which educational institution he had received it. It was also reported to me that a staff member claimed to have been shown a physical, framed diploma.
A Master of Divinity generally requires three years (between 72 and 106 credits) of rigorous, full-time study (as compared with two years for a traditional Master of Arts degree). Many mainline denominations require their pastoral staff to hold an MDiv. (Independent and non-denominational churches are varied in their requirements.)
As stated in Part 7, I called Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary, an Indiana school that offers online degree programs, back in March. The registrar’s office claimed Robert Hahn had indeed registered but hadn’t attended a single class.
What could be the explanation for Hahn’s claim? Did he attend another school with the name “Trinity” in its title? (There are several throughout the English-speaking world.) When, exactly, did Hahn obtain his degree? And how could someone who doesn’t, so far as I can tell, hold an undergraduate degree obtain a master's?
And then I saw Hahn’s Advisory Cloud Profile. The “biography” section states the following:
“Robert obtained his Master of Arts in Divinity from Trinity College and University.”
According to its website, Trinity College and University gives credits based on people’s “past experiences” and “knowledge.”
(From the website) “As well as remote learning and training programmes, TC&U provides a unique service of accrediting people based on their past experiences and knowledge through the route of Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).”
Trinity College and University is a diploma mill. The Cambridge Dictionary definition of a diploma mill is: “An organization that gives educational qualifications to people in exchange for money, without them having to do any or much studying.”
In 2015, Fox News reported that the United Nations fired a staff member for “misrepresenting his educational qualifications as being from a legitimate university, which ‘constituted serious misconduct.’” That staff member had obtained his “degree” from Trinity College and University.
There are a number of pastors from large, established churches who do not have any seminary training. The vast majority are upfront about their lack of an official degree.
Claiming to have an MDiv that you haven’t earned is deceptive and an insult to those who worked hard to receive their legitimate degrees. Purchasing a fake diploma? That’s academic fraud. It’s the action of a charlatan.
In an article from Good Faith Media concerning ministers who claim degrees from diploma mills, Robert Parham says: “Theological diploma mills are a significant problem of moral integrity. If ministers will take educational shortcuts and misrepresent their ministerial training, then they will probably cut corners and engage in deception on other church fronts.”
We repeat our request that the leadership of Chesapeake Church hires an outside investigation team to thoroughly examine the abuse and mistreatment of those who were under the authority of Robert Hahn.
Here is one such organization:
Further reading: What are diploma mills? (From International Christian College and Seminary)
Fake Degrees in the Pulpit by Enock C. Dryness (From Christianity Today)
What is Wrong with Diploma Mills? By Robert Parham (From Good Faith Media)
Diploma Mills: A Legal Overview (From EVERYCRSReport.com)