St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS), Yonkers, NY, and St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, Armonk, NY, are preparing to celebrate more than fifty years of collaboration on Friday, October 11.
Those five decades include several milestones. A formal relationship between the two seminaries began in 1968, when negotiations with SVOTS resulted in St. Nersess becoming a satellite institution. Over the coming decades, the two seminaries formalized (and later revised) a joint Master of Divinity (M.Div.) curriculum. In 2004, the partnership resulted in the launch of the Treasures of the Armenian Christian Tradition Series (AVANT) through St. Vladimir’s Seminary (SVS) Press. In 2016, the schools once again renewed their commitment to work together, this time via an Inter-Seminary Agreement of Collaboration signed along with Gevorgyan Seminary in Vagharshapat (Echmiadzin), Armenia. At present, seminarians studying at St. Nersess take approximately forty percent of their course load at St. Vladimir’s.
At the formal celebration October 11 on the campus of St. Vladimir’s, Alumnus Bishop Daniel Findikyan (M.Div., 1989), primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, will deliver the annual Father John Meyendorff Memorial Lecture, titled “The Sacrament of Theological Education: St. Vladimir’s and St Nersess Seminaries at 50 Years”. The Meyendorff Lecture will follow Vespers celebrated according to the Armenian rite at Three Hierarchs Chapel.
The special, 50th anniversary event replaces SVOTS’ annual Orthodox Education Day this year, and is free and open to the public. More information may be found in the events section of SVOTS’ website.
