An introduction to the teachings and practice of the

Orthodox Church in the 21st Century

The Venue:

The Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God

63 Dale Street

Palfrey, Walsall

West Midlands, WS1 4AN

Who is it for?

Anybody interested in the life, worship and teaching of the Orthodox Church including those being considered for ordination, teachers, readers, singers and servers.

Who awards the certificate and the diploma?

This seminary is part of the Archdiocese and His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain will award the certificates.

Date and Time:

Starting 15th September 2012 and then every second Saturday of the month until June 2013. The months of July and August are holidays. The term will start again on the 21st September 2013.

10.00am – 5.00pm divided into 5 sessions

The Courses:

1. Certificate – a one-year practical course:

i) Church Practice, ii) Church History, iii) Introducing the Church Canons, iv) Faith and Worship, v) The Life in Christ, vi) God, Creation, the Fall and the work of Jesus Christ, vii) Introducing the Old Testament, viii) Introducing the New Testament, ix) Introducing, and becoming familiar with, the Greek language as used in the Church and by the Church Fathers.

2. Diploma – a two-year course following on from the Certificate:

i) Doctrine, ii) Worship, iii) The Fathers, iv) Spirituality, v) Canons, vi) Scripture, vii) Apologetics, viii) Pastoral Studies, ix) Ethics, x) New Testament Greek.

Examination: by essay, seminar paper and viva.  Potential students will hold the TMES Certificate or similar.

3. Advanced Diploma – a one-year in-depth course:

i) Ecclesiastical Greek, ii) Old Testament Typology, iii) Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, iv) New Testament and non-canonical books, v) the Typikon, vi) Greek philosophy and Orthodoxy, vii) the Desert Fathers and Monasticism, viii) Pastoral Issues, ix) Orthodoxy in the world today, x) Developing the Orthodox Community.

Potential students will hold the TMES Diploma.

These courses build on the ten years’ experience of the Midlands Orthodox Study Centre, which included a partnership with the University of Wales, Lampeter, who awarded the qualifications until December 2011. The seminary has a growing and reasonably comprehensive library thanks to some important recent bequests.

His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain, has decided that this centre should become the Thyateira Midland Ecclesiastical Seminary, with the object of helping to prepare the faithful for further service in the Church.

The Staff:

Dr Nicolai Lipatov

Initial contact:

Fr John Nankivell

The Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God

63 Dale Street

Palfrey

Walsall

West Midlands

WS1 4AN

Email:        This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Telephone:         07891 903 518

Cost:

£400 per calendar year. Payment can be made in two or four instalments. Your parish may wish to sponsor you.

Those who wish to study, but find the financial commitment difficult, should not be put off, as bursaries of up to 50% may be available in certain circumstances. Potential students should apply in writing to the Principal.

Students will have a good grasp of the English language and will have received a secondary school education.

For further information visit the following websites:

www.orthodoxwalsall.org.uk

www.shrewsburyorthodox.com

www.thyateira.org.uk