The Board of Trustees and Administration of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary have been prayerfully observing and reflecting on the events and news in recent days as the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America and the Metropolitan Council meet at the Chancery in Syosset, New York.

We appreciate the recommendations of the Special Investigating Committee and the first steps that are being taken to follow those recommendations, including publishing the report of the Committee.  We note, regarding the Committee's recommendation to require annual external audits of all OCA bodies and institutions, including Stavropegial institutions such as seminaries, that St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary for over twenty-five years has engaged outside auditors who have conducted full annual external audits of its financial records.  These audits are made available for the examination of all interested parties.  Recent annual audits may be viewed on our web site: http://www.svots.edu.

  St. Vladimir's Seminary is an independent non-profit educational institution chartered by the State of New York. The seminary's independent, experienced, and diverse Board of Trustees has been and continues to be committed to transparent and accountable governance of the Seminary.  Its membership, drawn from the various Orthodox jurisdictions that the Seminary serves, includes clergy and laity distinguished by their achievements in such fields as finance, business, media, law, medicine, and education. The Primate or locum tenens of the Orthodox Church in America serves as the Seminary President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees.  The members of the Board of Trustees elect an Executive Chair, who coordinates the work of the Board.

While acknowledging the difficult circumstances of the just-announced retirement of His Beatitude Metropolitan Herman, the Seminary notes with appreciation his service to St. Vladimir's Seminary and his ministry of leading us in prayer over the last six years.  As His Beatitude undergoes surgery this month, we pray that the hands of his physicians will be guided by the Lord and that his recovery will be swift.

The Board of Trustees looks forward to working with the locum tenens and the administrator of the Metropolitan See in the coming weeks.

The entire seminary community wishes to thank the clergy and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America for the opportunity to serve the Church as a theological school.  We assure you of our intention to continue and deepen our efforts to provide for this and future generations of priests and church leaders. We pray that the Lord will give peace to His Church and to His people for every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.

In Christ,