Quality assurance and institutional recognition
Cross Life School of Divinity is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence and institutional integrity. Our accreditation and recognition demonstrate our dedication to quality education.
Continuing Professional Development
All courses are accredited through the CPD Certification Service, ensuring they meet rigorous standards for professional development and are recognized globally.
Status: Fully Accredited · 10–65 CPD Hours per program
Certified Chaplain Assistant (CCA)
Our Chaplaincy Program awards the CLSOD Certified Chaplain Assistant designation, recognized by institutional chaplaincy organizations.
Status: Active Certification · 65 CPD Hours
Private Faith-Based Accrediting Body
Cross Life School of Divinity is accredited by the Council for Theological Accreditation and Review (CTAR), an independent private religious accrediting body incorporated as a non-charitable nonprofit in the State of Delaware. CTAR operates under its own independent director and is a separate legal entity from Cross Life School of Divinity and Word of Truth Bible Teaching Ministries, with no shared governance or financial control. CTAR evaluates every accredited school solely against its nine published standards.
After years of prayerful preparation, countless hours of curriculum development, and a rigorous accreditation process, Cross Life School of Divinity has been granted accreditation by the Council for Theological Accreditation and Review (CTAR), an independent private religious accrediting body. The Associate of Biblical Studies (A.B.S.), Bachelor of Christian Ministry (B.C.M.), and Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.) tracks meet CTAR's published standards.
Important Disclosure: CTAR accreditation is a private religious accreditation and is not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. It does not constitute state, regional, or national accreditation, and transferability of credits or degrees is not guaranteed. Degrees conferred by Cross Life School of Divinity are issued under Florida's religious exemption (Section 1005.06(1)(f), Florida Statutes) and include required religious modifiers in all degree titles.
Status: Approved · Independent Religious Accreditation
Understanding where accreditation comes from helps you make an informed, confident decision about your education.
Jesus discipled the Twelve personally, and Paul mentored Timothy and Titus the same way. There was no "seminary." Ministry was recognized by calling, character, and competence affirmed by the believing community — not by a credential.
As the church grew and doctrinal disputes arose, catechetical schools (Alexandria, Antioch) and later cathedral schools and universities (Paris, Oxford, Cambridge) developed to standardize teaching and train clergy formally.
Luther and the Reformers insisted every believer should read the Bible for themselves. This drove the rise of formal education for pastors so they could teach faithfully — a tool for the church, not a gatekeeper for the Spirit.
Seminaries like Andover, Princeton, and Hamilton arose in the 18th–19th centuries to supply trained pastors for a rapidly expanding frontier church. By the 20th century, a seminary degree had become the cultural norm for ordination in most denominations — even though it was never a biblical requirement.
Today roughly 71% of senior pastors hold a seminary or graduate degree — a reflection of institutional preference, not ministerial effectiveness. Accreditation now functions as a recognized standard of quality, while faithfully serving the church that God has always called, with or without a credential.
Accreditation in the United States is essentially a self-regulating, peer-review system. A U.S. Senate investigation found that "the self-reporting and peer-review nature of the accreditation process exposes it to manipulation by companies that are more concerned with their bottom line than with academic quality."
of for-profit college revenue comes from federal student aid
of student loan defaults came from for-profit institutions
higher marketing budgets at for-profits vs. nonprofit schools
When billions in federal aid are attached to a credential, the incentive can shift from protecting the student to protecting the revenue stream. A degree that isn't "recognized" by the federal pipeline isn't necessarily inferior — it simply isn't plugged into that system. This is exactly why choosing a school that holds to genuine academic and spiritual standards, independent of that machinery, matters.
A longstanding, legitimate tradition exists in American higher education of private religious bodies that grant degrees and accredit institutions without seeking recognition from the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The following are notable examples — included here strictly as historical and industry reference, not as endorsements.
Council for Theological Accreditation and Review (CTAR)
Independent private religious accrediting body; evaluates institutions against nine published standards. Cross Life School of Divinity is accredited by CTAR.
Accrediting Commission International (ACI)
Accredits hundreds of Bible colleges and seminaries; Beebe, Arkansas.
International Association of Bible Colleges and Seminaries (IABCS)
One of the oldest U.S. private Christian accrediting bodies.
Association of Christian Colleges and Theological Schools (ACCTS)
Private faith-based accreditor of theological institutions.
Christian Education Accreditation Commission (CEAC)
Serves private theological institutes and seminaries.
World Wide Accreditation Commission (WWAC)
Has explicitly chosen not to seek USDE or CHEA endorsement.
National Accrediting Agency of Private Theological Institutions (NAAPTI)
Private religious accreditor operating by biblical conviction.
Pensacola Christian College
Florida; operates under religious exemption, not regionally accredited.
Hyles–Anderson College
Indiana; board chose not to seek regional or national accreditation.
West Coast Baptist College
California; independent Baptist Bible college, unaccredited.
Crown College (Tennessee)
Independent Baptist institution operating without federal accreditation.
Fairhaven Baptist College
Indiana; unaccredited Bible college.
Ambassador Baptist College
North Carolina; independent Baptist college, unaccredited.
These institutions operate legally under state religious-exemption statutes and serve their communities faithfully — a reminder that accreditation is one pathway to accountability, not the only measure of an institution's legitimacy.
If God so clearly uses men and women without formal credentials — as the roster above attests — why pursue accreditation at all? Because accreditation is not a substitute for calling; it is a service to the people we train and the partners we serve. A verified standard tells a prospective student that the curriculum has been examined, the lessons have been tested, and the certificate they earn represents real, transferable study — not an empty title. It tells a partner church or school that our graduates have completed something measurable and accountable. We pursue accreditation not to prove God's calling, but to steward it well.
Equally important: the value of Cross Life School of Divinity — and of every school and accrediting organization named on this page — is not determined by federal, national, or regional recognition. The U.S. Department of Education, CHEA, and the regional accreditors govern eligibility for federal financial aid and the transfer of credit into their own member institutions; they do not measure faithfulness, soundness of doctrine, fruitfulness in ministry, or the readiness of a graduate to serve. A school may be fully recognized by the federal system and still fail the Church, and a school outside that system may faithfully equip generations of laborers. Recognition is a pathway, not a verdict. Our worth — and theirs — is measured by the graduates we send into the harvest, the communities we strengthen, and the Lord we serve.
Education sharpens the mind, equips the teacher, and guards against doctrinal error — these are real goods. But the moment the credential (not the formation) becomes the gate to ministry, the church has traded the biblical model — calling, character, and competence recognized by the community — for an institutional one. History shows God uses both pathways. The credential system has never been what makes a minister. God does.
Our decision to pursue structured, accredited education is a decision to create value— for our students, our partners, and the Kingdom. It honors the God who calls by preparing thoroughly, while never confusing a degree with a calling.
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