More about the Hilliards

 

Here’s another little tidbit I though you might like to know about this covetous couple.

Although they both use the title Dr. extensively on their website and on all their writings, neither have an earned doctorate from an accredited university. Their doctoral degrees both come from Friends International University in Merced California. F.I.C.U is an unaccredited school that specializes in awarding advanced degrees by correspondence (aka: mail order diplomas). In addition to correspondence courses, degree credits are awarded based on “life experience” as opposed to classroom work, research, and traditional scholarship.

This diploma mill is the source of the advanced degrees flaunted by many of the best known wolves in the apostate church. People like Dr. T.D. Jakes , Dr. Clarence McClendon, Dr. Frederick K.C. Price, Dr’s Michael & Dee Dee Freeman and many others have used the friendly courses of F.I.C.U. to exalt themselves by attaching a bogus credential to their name.
 
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Mat 23:12

Even with these less than rigorous degree requirements, both Ira and Bridgett Hilliards degrees are Honorary. That’s right, they haven't even taken the time to complete a few courses by mail. Somehow (I suspect a cash gift was involved) F.I.C.U. decided to award them both honorary doctorates. Perhaps it’s for all their humanitarian work.

It is fairly common in the world of academics for accredited institutions of higher learning to award honorary degrees for various reasons. Sometimes they are awarded to distinguished alumni. Sometimes it is due to a persons work with various high profile causes. Many times honorary degrees are awarded after a wealthy person makes a large cash gift or endowment to a university.

What is not common however is for that person to use the title of Dr. as if they had earned a degree. This practice is highly unethical if not down right fraudulent. What does it say about a person who would attach the title Dr. to their name when they have not actually earned it? Only in the apostate church it seems can a person embellish their academic credentials and still be praised as a great man (or woman) of God. For example, Robert Schuller (both father and son), Billy Graham, and Jerry Falwell, all allow themselves to be referred to as doctor even though none of them possess an earned doctorate but all have several honorary degrees.

……and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire….Rev 21:8

If you were hiring someone to work in your business and discovered that the doctorate an applicant had claimed on his resume was actually an honorary degree from an unaccredited institution, would you hire that person? If you discovered that your medical doctor was using a phony degree from a phony medical school would you allow that Dr. to operate on you? Why oh why then would you allow a person with a phony religious degree to teach you the word of God?
Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying that a doctoral degree is required for a person to be an effective teacher or church leader. Far from it, the only requirement is that a person be called of God and anointed by the Holy Spirit for the work to which they are called. A good solid education in the scriptures can be a wonderful thing and should never be disparaged in and of itself but it is certainly not a scriptural requirement for service.

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise: and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty 1Cor 1:27

And that is really the saddest part of all. God does not require fancy degrees or titles to do his work. What he requires is servanthood. So why do people like the Hilliards seek to deceive the sheep into thinking they are something they are not? It could only be because their calling comes not from God but from their own hearts. Truly, the prophet Jeremiah spoke of these wicked people when he said:

I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. Jer 23:21-22

Printer Friendly Version

Steve Lumbley 2006 http://www.apostasywatch.com/
This article may be reproduced and distributed free of charge as long as it remains in its original form.