The beginning of the new academic year is always an exciting time at the Seminary. This year we are welcoming twenty-two new seminarians. They are from the United States, Canada, and India, which means a total of eight countries are represented in this year’s student body.
Those are numbers to give thanks to God for! By His grace and through these incredible, faithful men and women, the Seminary continues to have strong, positive impact on the world and the wider Church.
I can report that the standing of Saint Vladimir’s in the Orthodox world comes with high expectations—only the very best is expected from us. Earlier this year at the International Orthodox Theological Association (IOTA) conference in Romania (which is being called the largest gathering of Orthodox Christian theologians in modern times) no seminary, academy, institute, or pastoral school had a larger presence. Saint Vladimir’s was there with SVS Press (the largest English-language Orthodox press in the world) and many of our faculty, alumni, authors, administration, and current seminarians.
The Seminary’s past is still looked upon with great reverence, and rightly so. However, thanks to you, work continues so that SVOTS is the Orthodox seminary best positioned to take the lead as the twenty-first century rolls on. Saint Vladimir’s is a model of what many see as the future of Orthodoxy in America and the witness of the global Church in the world.
Our fall mailing, One Lord, One Church, One World, is hitting mailboxes soon. If you aren’t on our mailing list and would like to receive this amazing snapshot of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary and its work in the world, as well as receive other mailings about the Seminary, email advancement@svots.edu.
Please join me in praying for the Seminary and her seminarians and consider making a generous show of support for the work to build up the Church. Summers are always a slow financial time for seminaries, and I need your help to get this new year off to a great start in every way.
Thanking you in advance, I am, faithfully yours,
The Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield,
President
