European-American University Degree Mill

[eLearner]

Which certification was this? Was it from an actual university or what?

This was for a state certification in a mental health subfield. Outside of completing the required free courses, the educational requirement is a high school diploma, and you can't even submit the application without uploading it.

[Messdiener]

Messdiener - WHERE do you even get schools like this?? I don't know what would be more appropriate for this one: an exorcism or a standard de-bunking?  Sacra Vacca! (Holy Cow!)

All I did was click the link to the church mentioned in the original post and kept clicking around. That website is wild.

Thank you for bringing up this little oddity. John Kersey AKA His Serehe Highness, Beatitude and Royal Majesty Mar Edmundus III, Prince-Abbott and Mukungu of the Ancient Abbey-Principality of San Luigi, Prince of Miensk, Vilna and All Byelorussia, Patriarch-Catholicos of the West etc., etc., etc. is probably the most creative of all the mill operators out there. The amount of effort he expends in creating elaborate backstories of all the entities he leads is a marvel to behold.

And yet, most of them jump from this or that lineage to another...and then suddenly, the Prince-Abbott has 'inherited' the order, university, society, or whatever he is claiming ownership of.

Thank you, Stanislav. If I'd read the home page, I'd have seen His Mukungu-ship Kersey's name and saved myself a lot of bother. Unfortunately I went right to Pythagoras U. His name isn't on that page. So - thanks for mentioning- and we're in complete agreement. Messdiener... have you anything to say, here?

I can't verify any of the fellow's claims, but he's certainly a colourful fellow. But unlike a lot of vagantes, I don't see him outright claiming to be Roman Catholic or Orthodox, so that's a nice change. Rather, he's simply descended from a bunch of other Churches and has inherited his authority over others, as the stories go.

Which certification was this? Was it from an actual university or what?

This was for a state certification in a mental health subfield. Outside of completing the required free courses, the educational requirement is a high school diploma, and you can't even submit the application without uploading it.

If you don't mind doing so, tell us more! What subfield? Was the program online? Is it something we could share here on DF?

[Stanislav]

Thank you for bringing up this little oddity. John Kersey AKA His Serehe Highness, Beatitude and Royal Majesty Mar Edmundus III, Prince-Abbott and Mukungu of the Ancient Abbey-Principality of San Luigi, Prince of Miensk, Vilna and All Byelorussia, Patriarch-Catholicos of the West etc., etc., etc. is probably the most creative of all the mill operators out there. The amount of effort he expends in creating elaborate backstories of all the entities he leads is a marvel to behold.

And yet, most of them jump from this or that lineage to another...and then suddenly, the Prince-Abbott has 'inherited' the order, university, society, or whatever he is claiming ownership of.

Thank you, Stanislav. If I'd read the home page, I'd have seen His Mukungu-ship Kersey's name and saved myself a lot of bother. Unfortunately I went right to Pythagoras U. His name isn't on that page. So - thanks for mentioning- and we're in complete agreement. Messdiener... have you anything to say, here?

I can't verify any of the fellow's claims, but he's certainly a colourful fellow. But unlike a lot of vagantes, I don't see him outright claiming to be Roman Catholic or Orthodox, so that's a nice change. Rather, he's simply descended from a bunch of other Churches and has inherited his authority over others, as the stories go.

Yes, his narratives do have this jumpy quality to them. Probably because he seeks to bring up as many historical facts and documents as possible to back up claims none of these facts and documents actually back up. In the end, it's a story that feels persuasive but ultimately doesn't prove anything. Like a good speculative fiction, say a Dan Brown novel. Kersey should exchange his San Juan de la Cruz doctorate for a legitimate MFA in fiction writing, the man earned it.
I think he claims that his entities are Orthodox, Catholic, Old Catholic, and continuing Anglican, all at the same time and while being in full communion. He has great regard for historical flourish, not so much for consistency.
I wonder if all his efforts are just sections on his website. He runs multiple "schools": are those active degree milling operations, or just virtual entities he can be a "Professor" and "President" at? Various Orders: does he actively recruit members (read: sells awards)? Or is it enough to just BE a Grand Poobah and Royal Protector?

[Stanislav]

It would be kind of cool if there was some truth in Kersey's claims. I mean, none of his entities has the real power to charter a school, even if they existed, but they'd be cool nonetheless. I think he just took defunct entities (that were dodgy to begin with, but may have some sincerity) and sort of claims them for himself, banking on no one being there to dispute his claims. For example, from what I can tell, the Abbey-Principality of San Luigi (ostensibly in Africa) was a fiction created by Archbishop Renee Vilatte to raise some funds. Vilatte is a patron saint of Episcopi Vagantes (seriously, multiple microchurches have him as a founder and at least one actually recognize him as a Saint). The guy made it up to sell some false knighthood, to finance his various attempts to start an Old Catholic church with himself at the head and some status. Kersey just took the pre-existing story, invented a continuous lineage of "Abbots" out of the whole cloth, and voila! - instant Prince. No one after Vilatte had a reason to keep this alive, so who would tell that Kersey's version is false? "Order of Corporate Reunion" and "Catholicosate of the West" are also defunct and were more interesting efforts (not serious enough to survive though). One thing though: "Catholicosate" is defunct, but doesn't "British Orthodox Church" under "Abba Seraphim" still active and kind of descends from it? That guy is serious enough to at one point join the real Coptic Church and be recognized as a real Archbishop (before splitting again). He could have said something?

[elcastor21]

Thank you for bringing up this little oddity. John Kersey AKA His Serehe Highness, Beatitude and Royal Majesty Mar Edmundus III, Prince-Abbott and Mukungu of the Ancient Abbey-Principality of San Luigi, Prince of Miensk, Vilna and All Byelorussia, Patriarch-Catholicos of the West etc., etc., etc. is probably the most creative of all the mill operators out there. The amount of effort he expends in creating elaborate backstories of all the entities he leads is a marvel to behold.

We need a John Kersey Cinematic Universe ASAP!

[eLearner]

@Messdiener

I don't mind at all. It's for a New York Peer Specialist Certification from the New York Peer Specialist Certification Board (NYPSCB). They're funded and overseen by the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYS OMH), and all New York residents have their application/fees covered by NYS OMH, so it's free for New Yorkers.

The resulting certification and title is NYCPS (New York Certified Peer Specialist). The courses that will grant you eligibility after completion are done entirely online through the Academy of Peer Services which is funded and overseen by Rutgers University School of Health Professions. This is also free.

New York Peer Specialist Certification Board - https://www.nypscb.org

Academy of Peer Services - https://www.academyofpeerservices.org

[Johann]

It would be kind of cool if there was some truth in Kersey's claims. 

More than that. It'd be phenomenal. Unprecedented --- and I think it's highly unlikely to happen. Goes against the pattern. And speaking of vagantes -- wasn't the late Bishop Chief Alexander Swift Eagle Justice one of those?

He founded a church with a somewhat obscure Catholic-sounding name in Mexico, if I recall. And another that was strictly for Native Americans. Or the two might have been one. Do you recall His Excellency Bishop Swift Eagle Justice? I believe he was also a purveyor of unaccredited educational opportunities. I forget the names of any schools he was associated with. You can see him here: https://sites.google.com/site/gnostickos...opsjustice

[Stanislav]

It would be kind of cool if there was some truth in Kersey's claims. 

More than that. It'd be phenomenal. Unprecedented --- and I think it's highly unlikely to happen. Goes against the pattern. And speaking of vagantes -- wasn't the late Bishop Chief Alexander Swift Eagle Justice one of those?

He founded a church with a somewhat obscure  Catholic-sounding name in Mexico, if I recall. And another that was strictly for Native Americans. Or the two might have been one. Do you recall His Excellency Bishop Swift Eagle Justice? I believe he was also a purveyor of unaccredited educational opportunities. I forget the names of any schools he was associated with. You can see him here: https://sites.google.com/site/gnostickos...opsjustice

Alexander Swift Justice is another Prince-Bishop. A lot like John Kersey, but not quite as good a writer. And yes, he is a Epuscopus Vagans. So is John Kersey:

https://sites.google.com/site/gnostickos/bbishopskersey

This seems to indicate that he does have a claim to Apostolic Succession. That is not that unusual, as evidenced by all the examples on that site. Honestly, I started to doubt that, seeing his prolific and very skillful lies on just about anything else. Then again,  it's possible the site relied on Kersey's own claims.

---

It would be kind of cool if there was some truth in Kersey's claims. 

More than that. It'd be phenomenal. Unprecedented --- and I think it's highly unlikely to happen. Goes against the pattern. And speaking of vagantes -- wasn't the late Bishop Chief Alexander Swift Eagle Justice one of those?

He founded a church with a somewhat obscure  Catholic-sounding name in Mexico, if I recall. And another that was strictly for Native Americans. Or the two might have been one. Do you recall His Excellency Bishop Swift Eagle Justice? I believe he was also a purveyor of unaccredited educational opportunities. I forget the names of any schools he was associated with. You can see him here: https://sites.google.com/site/gnostickos...opsjustice

Oh, and Swift Justice was affiliated with International University of Fundamental Studies, as well as his own Internet university. In addition of being a long lost Russian prince and a Cosmonaut.

[Johann]

So - a Native American is also a long-lost Russian Prince? Well, if mill-masters born in UK can be princes of Bunyoro-Kitara in Kenya, Africa (I think at least two are) then why not a Native American-Russian Prince? The two "White Princes" were given their princely titles by the REAL monarchs of these recognized traditional kingdoms. The monarchs were also accrediting schools, before the Government told them to stop. Apparently that exceeded the powers conferred on traditional monarchs by present Government. Those monarchs were enterprising. They knew the value of a buck. Still do, I'm pretty sure.

As for IUFS - International University for Fundamental Studies (St Petersburg, Russia) - it is known as a mill. The head of it all, I remember as a man from Sri Lanka who called himself a Mahatma - (a holy person or sage - e.g. Mahatma Gandhi) . He got his start offering lessons in "rocket science" (sic) in his native village. He has at least six unverifiable "doctorates" including one in "Satellite TV." Yes, I can see how IUFS, that "colourful" school would be fertile ground for Chief Swift Eagle. "Birds of a feather..."

In fact, when I last looked up IUFS, maybe 3-4 years ago, Chief Alexander Swift Eagle Justice was still on the Faculty List, years after his death.. He and I were the same age - I'm nearly 81 now. The Chief was 73 when he passed on, I believe. He was about as colourful as it gets. I envy him a bit, because I'm really dull... hopelessly so, in fact.
.

[Johann]

BTW - John Kersey used to post, quite a few years ago, on the OTHER degree-forum. as Dr. Marianus. As with everyone else's, his posts are still available there.His work on that forum is quite interesting. Worth a look, if you're into the history of non-traditional higher education.