The Thyateira Midland Ecclesiastical Seminary

by | Aug 18, 2015 | News

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?

For men and women who: wish to serve in a leadership role in the Church and need a foundation for further study; or are involved with choir, serving and catechesis or who would like to be; or are just interested and want to increase their knowledge and understanding.

 The aim is to provide students who wish to be more involved in the work of the Church with sufficient instruction for them to take on their various roles, and to provide a foundation for further Orthodox Theological Study

 Who awards the Certificate and the Diploma?

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

 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.

 Cost

£350 per calendar year (if students do not wish to write the seminar papers and essay, the certificate course would cost £300).

There is also a Diploma course which is a two year course and costs £400 p/year.

There is also an Advanced Diploma course for one year and costs £200 p/year.

There is a bursary of 50% for those who wish to do the course but find the fees difficult.

Payment can be made in full or in instalments. Your parish may wish to sponsor you.

 Admission Requirements:

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

 Date and Time:

Starting September 2015 and then every second Saturday of the month until June 2016. The months of July and August are holidays.

10.00am – 5.00pm divided into 5 sessions

 

 

The Certificate Course – 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

 Assessment:the Certificate course is examined by one 2000 word essay and a number of 500 word (max) seminar papers presented by the students.

 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

Principal: Very Revd Proto-presbyter Fr John Nankivell

 Lecturers: Very Revd Proto-presbyter Fr Stephen Maxfield

Dr Nicolai Lipatov

Visiting lecturers

 

Admin: Xen Serghi

 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: nankivell@tesco.net This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Telephone: 07891 903 518

 

For further information visit the following websites:

www.orthodoxwalsall.org.uk

www.shrewsburyorthodox.com

www.thyateira.org.uk

An illustrated talk by Peter Brooke: What is the purpose of painting? A controversy from the eighth century.

by | Aug 7, 2015 | News

 Peter's talk
 
 
Llaneglwys Village Hall
(near Brecon. Details at http://llaneglwys-village-hall.weebly.com ) Sunday 23rd August at 7.30 pm
 
Towards the end of the eighth century, a church council held in Nicaea, in what is now southern Turkey, ruled that painted images (‘icons’) could be used as objects of veneration. Shortly afterwards a major attack was launched against this Eastern Council under the auspices of Charlemagne, soon to be crowned first Emperor of a renewed ‘Roman’ Empire in the west. This was a major event in the process by which the Western (‘Roman Catholic’) and Eastern (‘Orthodox’) churches separated. But important as the political and theological aspect was, Peter Brooke argues that it also reflected a radical difference between the ‘classical’ art of Greece and Rome and the very different art that had developed in the West and is known as ‘Celtic’ or ‘insular’ art.
 
 

Ecumenical Patriarch

by | Aug 5, 2015 | News

 

Hi sAll Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I will be paying a visit to the UK in November arriving on Sunday afternoon of the 1st.

The Ecumenical Patriarch will devote a part of his visit to meet and bless His Flock living in the United Kingdom and Ireland and the other part to a series of official contacts with the Leader of the Church of England and his associates. 

Monday, 2 November 2015, 6:00 pm: Great Vespers at the Divine Cathedral of the Divine Wisdom, Bayswater London. His Holiness will preside in the Vespers and preach to the Congregation. All are invited to attend the Service.