The Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) Cohort, Class of 2017, met on campus from June 19–25, 2016, for intensive study in two courses: “Ministry to the Sick and Dying” and “Ministry in a Secular Age.” For the greater part of the academic year Cohort members meet and study online, but they gather on-site bi-annually to engage in robust discussion with faculty and classmates about the day-to-day challenges of their pastoral ministries.

Daniel B. Hinshaw, M.D., and his wife, Jane (Carnahan) Hinshaw, M.D., designed their course about illness and dying in a way that helps students gain a deeper understanding of the kinds of suffering sick and dying people experience—physical, psychological, social, and spiritual. They build on skills and experiences students already have had, in order to make them even more effective in their ministries.

“Often, the subject matter we discuss is directly relevant to challenging situations within their parish ministries, and the give-and-take among us—faculty and classmates—may help identify more beneficial ways to help their parishioners,” they explained.

“Moreover, we have been impressed with the trust and camaraderie built up within this Cohort of very bright and dedicated students,” they continued. “One student admitted he was ‘dreading’ having a course about sickness and death, but later said he has been pleasantly surprised to find the course both helpful and enjoyable.”

The Very Reverend John A. Jillions, D.Min., Ph.D., who teaches the course about ministering in a secular age, similarly noted, “I'm conscious that students in this Cohort are already theologically trained and experienced pastors and church workers, so my course is designed to be a laboratory for wrestling with the difficult, unresolved questions they have about the world in which they serve, as well as the cross-pressures we human beings experience as we seek to live out our faith in Christ.”

Father John recounted some of the wide-ranging topics he discusses with students: social justice, human rights, fundamentalism vs. relativism, inter-religious relationships, and gender and sexuality—issues which assail pastors daily. One of his main goals is to help students become adept at doctoral-level research in ministry, looking at an issue from all sides and deeply reflecting upon it.

“The D.Min. classroom functions as a protected space for full exploration of controversial topics,” he noted. “I'm struck simply by the range of questions the students are investigating, and their willingness to look at the difficult questions their own pastoral realities present.”

Students interested in the Doctor of Ministry Program may view full details of the program here, and contact Program Director the Reverend J. Sergius Halvorsen  shalvorsen@svots.edu. The Danilchick Family Endowment for Pastoral Studies offers need-based financial aid for Doctor of Ministry Students.

VIEW A VIDEO OF D.MIN. STUDENTS EXPERIENCES!

From June 13–18, 2016, the Very Reverend Dr. John Behr, dean of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, NY, accompanied by the Reverend Dr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in Armonk, NY, was received by the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II, headquartered at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in the Republic of Armenia. One result of the visit was a collaborative agreement signed between St. Vladimir’s and Gevorkian Theological Seminary, which provides for an exchange of faculty and students, courses of study, and library books, and which arranges for St. Nersess Seminary to serve as an intermediary between the two schools.

“The purpose of my visit,” said Fr. John, “was for me to better understand the academic program offered at Gevorkian Seminary and to discuss further the possibilities of collaboration between Gevorkian Seminary and St. Nersess and St. Vladimir's seminaries.

“The Deans of all three of our schools first met in April when the Very Reverend Garegin Hambardzumyan of Gevorkian Seminary was visiting the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in America and stopped by on our campus,” explained Fr. John.

“In return, during my trip to Armenia,” he continued, “I met with the faculty of Gevorkian Seminary—particularly about the possibilities of online instruction for our respective students—and I addressed a select group of their students about the nature and task of theology; as well, I met with Bishop Gevork Saroyan, the episcopal overseer of all theological schools in Armenia.”

The highlight of Fr. John’s visit was his meeting with His Holiness Karekin II, during which the two spoke about matters of theological education and methods to improve communication and collaboration between their seminaries. Father John presented the Catholicos with an icon of St. Vladimir holding his seminary’s campus Chapel of the Three Hierarchs, and he received in return a translation of The Prayers of St. Gregory of Narek and a book about the Armenian Church from His Holiness.

“It was truly impressive to hear of the Catholicos’s work in building up the Church in Armenia over the last decades,” noted Fr. John, “especially the thoughtful and purposeful attention he has given to theological education—making it possible for his young theologians to study abroad before coming back to Armenia as faculty members.”

Additionally, Fr. John was able to visit the Matenadaran Library, where he was shown exhibits of ancient Armenian manuscripts, including many very beautiful illuminations. He was given a digital copy of the Armenian manuscript containing the works of St. Irenaeus—a church father who has served as a major source for his own academic work. He also met with Bishop Yesnik (Petrosian), the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Armenian Bible Society, and discussed issues regarding the translation of Scripture and the need to promote the reading of Scripture.

He also was able to visit famous pilgrimage sites, such as the Khor Virap Monastery near Mount Ararat, where St. Gregory, the Illuminator of Armenia, spent 14 years imprisoned in deep cave-well; and the Geghard Monastery in the mountains to the east of Erevan, which is a recognized spiritual and cultural center that houses a seminary, a library, and a manuscriptorium. The main church of Geghard Monastery was built in 1215, and in the following century two “cave churches” cut directly into the stone mountain were added; UNESCO lists the monastery as a world heritage site.

“The trip occurred because of the initiative of Fr. Mardiros,” said Fr. John. “He made all the preparations and arrangements, and was an extremely gracious host and guide. Since this was the first time in the history of St. Vladimir’s Seminary that one of its Deans was able to make an official visit to Armenia, I am so grateful to Fr. Mardiros for his making my visit not only possible but incredibly fascinating and fruitful.”

SVS Press is attending the conference, "Tradition, Secularization, Fundamentalism: Orthodox/Catholic Encounters." Every three years, Fordham's Orthodox Christian Studies Center sponsors and produces the Patterson Conference on Orthodox/Catholic Dialogue. 

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary is still accepting students into its newly forming Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) cohort. Currently, the cohort consists of 7 priests, chaplains, and missionaries from four countries, and it can still accommodate 4 more students.

“Building on the successes of the students in the first D.Min. cohort, who began studies in the fall of 2014 and will graduate in the fall of 2017, our Doctor of Ministry program continues to bring together clergy and laypersons of diverse backgrounds with world-class faculty,” explained the Reverend Dr. J. Sergius Halvorsen, director of the program. “And, within these focused gatherings, we address the critical issues of Orthodox Christian ministry today.”

Students in the new cohort will begin an online orientation program July 18, 2016, and will start taking their first hybrid courses—online—in late August 2016. The fall schedule includes a one-week on-site intensive in October on the Seminary’s campus in Yonkers, NY. The newly formed cohort is scheduled to graduate in the fall of 2019. 

Prospective students who have completed a Master of Divinity degree and have at least three years of experience in ministry may apply to be in the new cohort. The Admissions Committee will consider complete applications as late as July 1. For further information, including an Application Packet, information on Tuition and Fees, Financial Aid, and an Academic Calendar, please see the D.Min. Program Page on the seminary website, or contact Program Director Fr. Sergius Halvorsen at shalvorsen@svots.edu.  The Danilchick Family Endowment for Pastoral Studies offers need-based financial aid for Doctor of Ministry Students. 

CELEBRATE ST. VLADIMIR’S DAY! Please join us in celebrating the feast of our patron, the Holy and Great Prince Vladimir! RSVP by July 5 to events@svots.edu. 

VESPERS 5:00pm, with a BBQ TO FOLLOW*

*Rain location: John G. Rangos Family Building

Event sponsorships are always welcome!

Download the flyer

On June 13, 2016, the Very Reverend Dr. John Behr, dean of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, together with the Reverend Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, departed for Armenia at the invitation of His Holiness Karekin II, supreme patriarch and catholicos of All Armenians. Fathers John and Mardiros will be visiting the seat of the worldwide Armenian Apostolic Church, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, to discuss the possibilities of inter-seminary collaboration between Gevorgyan Theological, St. Nersess, and St. Vladimir's seminaries.

“I am very excited to visit Armenia, Holy Etchmiadzin, and especially His Holiness Karekin II,” remarked Father John. “Our relationship with the Armenian Church and St. Nersess Seminary goes back almost half a century, yet this is the first time that a Dean of St. Vladimir’s has been given opportunity to visit Armenia. I am very thankful to Fr. Mardiros for making this trip possible, and I am eager to explore various ways of further collaboration.”

During this historic visit, Fr. John will be received by His Holiness, whom he first met in 2010, when His Holiness and St. Vladimir’s Seminary both received awards from the International Foundation for the Unity of Orthodox Christian Nations, headquartered in Moscow. Father John will also meet with the Very Reverend Garegin Hambardzumyan, dean of Gevorgyan Theological Seminary—who initially visited St. Vladimir’s Seminary in April 2016—and will address current seminarians and meet other faculty members of that seminary.

“While I am there, I also hope to visit the Matenadaran Library in Yerevan, which has the sole extant manuscript of St. Irenaeus of Lyons in the Armenian language, translated in sixth century from the now lost Greek original” remarked Fr. John, a renowned scholar of the works of Irenaeus. “I will soon begin working, together with our alumnus Paul Saieg, on a new edition of the works of St. Irenaeus for Oxford University Press.”

“The Christian tradition in Armenia is extremely ancient, and very rich in its theological, monastic, and spiritual life, as well as its art and architecture,” continued Fr. John. “Visiting Armenia is sure to be a blessing and enriching experience, as we will be treading the ground upon which two of Christ’s disciples, St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew, walked, as well as the great illuminator, St. Gregory the Enlightener, who converted the King of Armenia to Christianity in AD 301.”

More details and photos regarding Father John’s trip will be forthcoming.

SVS Press will be setting up a mobile book store at the Diocese of the South Assembly, Orthodox Church in America, in Wilmington, North Carolina.

This summer our Dean, the Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, will lead an intensive study unit at the St. Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Theological College in Donvale, Australia. More information is available here.

On June 13, 2016, with the blessing of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, the Reverend Mardiros Chevian, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary Dean, will accompany SVOTS Dean, the Very Reverend Dr. John Behr to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the spiritual and administrative headquarters of the worldwide Armenian Church. The purpose of the visit is for Fr. John to better understand the academic program offered at Gevorgyan Seminary and to further discuss the possibilities of inter-seminary collaboration between Gevorgyan, St. Nersess, and St. Vladimir's seminaries, including an exchange of faculty and students, courses of study, and library books.

While in Etchmiadzin, Fr. Behr will also have the opportunity to meet with the Vehapar, the dean and faculty of the seminary, and address the seminarians. Read more about the visit on the St. Nersess website.

His Grace the Right Reverend Irinej (Dobrijevic), a graduate of both St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and St Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, was recently elected to serve as bishop of the Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Currently, His Grace is bishop of the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand, a diocese that, like the diocese to which he is newly elected, is under the authority of the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate.

The announcement of the election was made in an official communiqué that recounted the proceedings of the regular meeting of the Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, held in Belgrade, May 14-25, 2016. The communiqué further announced that the current bishop of the Eastern American Diocese, His Grace Dr. Mitrophan (Kodic) had been, at that same meeting, elected bishop of the vacant Diocese of Canada; and that Protosindjel Siluan (Mrakic), of the Pustinje Monastery in the Diocese of Valjevo in Serbia, had been elected to replace Bishop Irinej in Australia.

Both the CEO and Dean of St Vladimir’s Seminary, the Very Reverend Dr. Chad Hatfield and the Very Reverend Dr. John Behr, respectively, expressed their pleasure at hearing the announcement.

“His Grace has maintained his contact with, and support for, our seminary while serving in Australia and New Zealand,” noted Fr. Chad. “Now that he will be geographically close once again, I anticipate that our historically close ties to the Serbian Orthodox Church will become even stronger.”

Father John added, “I am thrilled to hear of Bishop Irinej’s election to the Eastern American Diocese, and look forward to welcoming him to his alma mater and working closely with him in the formation of our Serbian students."

The election of Bishop Irinej amounts to a “homecoming” for him, both as a U.S. citizen and as a native of Cleveland. Alex Machaskee, Executive Chair of the Board at St Vladimir’s Seminary and retired president and publisher of Cleveland’s major newspaper, The Plain Dealer, recalled his personal history with the new bishop, saying, “I have known Bishop Irinej for many years and see him every time he returns to Cleveland, as well as visiting him with my wife in Sydney several years ago. 

“I was very impressed with the work Bishop Irinej did as the External Affairs Officer for the Serbian Church in Washington D.C. years ago,” he further noted. “I had recommended to the Patriarchate in Belgrade several times that Bishop Irinej should return to the United States, and I am delighted that that is now going to happen.”

“I consider His Grace a wonderful spiritual leader, my dear friend, and an outstanding leader of the Serbian faithful,” Machaskee remarked.

Born in 1955, Bishop Irinej completed his elementary and secondary education in his hometown, and after attending the Cleveland Institute of Art from 1973–1975, he enrolled in St Tikhon's Seminary in South Canaan, PA, where he graduated with a Licentiate in Theology, with the academic distinction maxima cum laude. In 1980 he enrolled in St Vladimir's Seminary in Yonkers, NY, and graduated in 1982 with a Master of Divinity degree, with an Honorable Mention for his master's thesis, “Bishop Nicholai Velimirovich: A 1921 Mission to America.” Afterward, he studied at the Athens Center in 2000 and 2003, and received levels I and II certificates in contemporary Greek language.

He spent most of his professional career in the field of education, lecturing at Loyola University in Chicago, and as a member of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Belgrade, under the auspices of the Serbian Orthodox Church. For many years he was the co-editor of The Path of Orthodoxy, the official publication of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA and Canada.

Read more about Bishop Irinej’s life on the website of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Australia and New Zealand, from which biographical facts in this article were gleaned.