The Rev. David Wooten is the pastor of the Mision de los Santos Apostoles (Holy Apostles Mission), Orthodox Church in America (OCA). Born in Amarillo, TX, Fr. David grew up in Tulsa, OK, where he felt a call early on to proclaim the Gospel in both English and Spanish. In his college years, he studied English and Spanish Education at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa and ministered in a Spanish–speaking Baptist congregation.

As a young adult, Fr. David began to wonder why historical Christianity was so different from the American evangelical context so familiar to him. Eventually, his questions propelled he and his wife Natalia to join the Orthodox Church, and in the eight years that followed, Fr. David served as a Spanish teacher while earnestly praying about the call to ministry that had been with him since his youth. In the summer of 2009, the Wootens moved to New York to study and live at St. Vladimir Seminary. Father David was ordained a deacon on May 14, 2011 and a priest on March 11, 2012, graduating a few months later. By the fall, he was immersed in the challenges of pioneering a Spanish–speaking Orthodox ministry in Miami.

Recently, the Orthodox Christian Network (OCN) announced that its flagship program "Come Receive the Light" was launching a Spanish–language version, "Vengan a Recibir la Luz." Each monthly program will present talks on different theological topics offered by Fr. David and The Rev. Aristidis Arizi (St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church in Miami). 

La Iglesia Ortodoxa de los Santos Apóstoles, or "Holy Apostles Orthodox Church" in Miami  became an OCA parish on July 1, 2012. Can you tell us how this ministry came about?

We originally received a request to work with an immigration ministry in the Miami area which had said it wanted to bring its religious services into communion with the Orthodox Church, but needed a Spanish-language priest to do so. We chrismated over 50 people in the month of July 2012, and began the work of catechizing, baptizing, and chrismating others who expressed an interest in the Church. Sadly, the ministry suddenly decided to part ways with the Church about nine months later, but thankfully, a good group of those who had been chrismated have remained with us. We now are celebrating the Divine Liturgy on Sundays at noon at Christ the Savior Cathedral in Miami Lakes, thanks to the generosity of that parish and their vision to help support a Spanish-language Orthodox mission in the area.

What do you think will be the keys to bringing Orthodoxy to the Latino/Hispanic community? What has kept this community from embracing the Faith thus far?

You know, that's a good question! To be honest, I don't think there is a "key" or even "keys" to any one particular community. We no longer live in a day where just because someone is from Latin America, he or she is automatically Roman Catholic, for example; the person could be Protestant, or not religious at all, just like most other areas. The key to any mission effort is understanding what your community needs and what it responds to...and that changes with every community!

One of the main needs is language. I'm extremely fluent in Spanish and thus able to serve and minister in the heart language of so many of the people in South Florida. This has still been challenging, however, given that I'm coming from a different place, culturally speaking, than many of my parishioners (they've been very patient with me!). But really, there aren't many people in the Church that are well–equipped enough to do this kind of work. A first step would be to develop "liturgical proficiency," which in Spanish would be very easy, since it's very simple phonetically. Along with this, however, priests who would seek to minister must be able to understand native speakers of the language, and, at the very least, make themselves understood to the faithful, both in ministry settings and from the pulpit.

In spite of the fact that I can minister in Spanish, my wife and I have had to translate and/or compile many of the services into Spanish that we have needed for this year. Much has already been done in the 70s and 80s, thanks to the efforts of Archbishop Dmitri of blessed memory, as well as the Orthodox Book Center at the Miami Cathedral, and much is being done in the Archdiocese of Mexico, but some services in the Menaion, the Triodion, and the Festal Menaion weren't readily available in formats we could use. We need to have hard copies of liturgical services; one of the things I'd like to help with in the coming year, God willing, are Spanish-language versions of all the little OCA service books that serve us so well in English.

One of the challenges I have seen in my time here is that many people in the Latino/Hispanic communities here are not concerned very much, if at all, with the Orthodox Church's being "the one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church established by Christ." Many in Latin America will church hop, even to the point of Baptist couples taking their baby to be baptized in a Roman Catholic church, only to be back in their Baptist church on Sunday. The pastor probably doesn't like it, but there's not a whole lot of concern among many Latinos/Hispanics about denominations. One priest told me of a conversation he had with a Latino minister who told him, "No prediques la Iglesia," or "Don't preach the Church," by which he meant, "Preach Christ/the gospel," presumably apart from any kind of Church presence. There's a big challenge ahead of us when the Church is big on ecclesiology (as it should be!), but the community around us sees little to no need for it.

So I think we need to present ourselves, yes, as the original Church, as a worshiping community with the worship and praise of heaven, but also a place which provides fellowship, retreats, community events, means for families to be strengthened, Bible studies, and service projects. Basically, we need to be about the business of "giving the faith hands and feet" by serving others, then connecting that service with our life of faith that springs from the liturgy and the Eucharist.

Tell us about your podcast, "Vengan a Recibir la Luz," which is the Spanish version of OCN's "Come Receive the Light." What is its content and purpose, and how people have responded since it was launched?

Well, we've really only just begun to post podcasts. We don't have a streaming station yet—mostly due to the fact that we don't have enough music yet to fill such a station!—so our podcasts begin with a talk between myself and Fr. Aristidis Arizi about a given topic. We've already had one guest on with us—Fr. Antonio Perdomo of St. George Church (OCA) in Pharr, TX talked about fasting—and we hope to have some phone interviews in the future. After that segment, we play one or two hymns of the church that are sung in Spanish. After that, Fr. Michael Marcantoni of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Clearwater, FL, reads an epistle and gospel from the lectionary, then preaches a short sermon about the gospel. We've already gotten some positive feedback on it, and have just launched a Facebook page, so we're hoping to continue to reach out to more people who are interested in hearing about Christ's Gospel and His Church.

How did your years at St. Vladimir's help equip you for the ministry you are engaged in now?

A priest back home in Texas asked me a great question when I came home after my first semester at St. Vlad's: "So...you overwhelmed yet?" He said that, in seminary, they give you more than any person could possibly do in any 24 hour period, and that they do that on purpose, by design. Seminary does that to you because it's teaching you how to learn what you need to cut. There's always something you could be doing; you need to learn how to manage your time, evaluate what needs to be done and what doesn't. On top of that, the invaluable conversations with classmates and teachers come back to you when you encounter pastoral issues in a parish.

Related to that, what has been the biggest challenge you've faced since leaving seminary? The greatest blessing?

The biggest challenge has been our unexpected move; we went from a fulltime position in a church building that we used exclusively, to having to be bi–vocational, Sunday only (for now), and use another parish's facilities. The greatest blessing is that that parish, Christ the Savior Cathedral, along with many other parishes in the area (most notably Ss. Peter and Paul in Miami, who hosted us in the interim period of Lent and Pascha) and other individuals in the Church (most notably Abp. Nikon, Fr. Marcus Burch, Fr. Ted Pisarchuk and Fr. Antonio Perdomo), have all been a wonderful example of how the Church is a support network for brethren who are having to face challenges in ministry. People have offered sympathy, and I appreciate it, but really, thanks to all of the support I just mentioned, we've never felt abandoned or alone. Truly, God is wonderful in His saints.

Seventeen graduates from St. Vladimir's Seminary are now being sent out as priests, deacons, and lay ministers in service to the Church. At Saturday's Commencement Exercises, the seminary awarded diplomas in three programs: 1 Master of Theology, 8 Masters of Divinity, and 8 Masters of Arts degrees. Graduates represented a broad range of ecclesial jurisdictions and included both Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Christians; four priests and one deacon were among the graduates.

Additionally, the Board of Trustees awarded three accomplished Orthodox Christians honorary degrees. Doctorates of Humane Letters honoris causa were bestowed upon Seminary Trustees Brian Gerich and Anne Glynn Mackoul, and upon Mother Ines Ayau García, abbess of Hogar Rafael Ayau, an Orthodox Christian orphanage in Guatemala.

Commencement crowned the week's celebrations, which also included the annual Board of Trustees meeting, a Trustee–Student dinner on Thursday evening, and a Friday Trustees dinner with staff and faculty. ordained to the Holy Diaconate. His Beatitude also presided at the 2 p.m. Service of Supplication (Molieben) in the campus Chapel of the Three Hierarchs before joining the faculty, staff, graduates, and visitors for Commencement ceremonies which followed. Board of Trustees member His Eminence Metropolitan Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, Northeast American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, also attended the Molieben and participated in the graduation exercises.

Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, NY, Dr. Fogg has supervised dozens of St. Vladimir's students in their hospital visitation and chaplaincy training. Dr. Fogg recalled her personal relationships with seminarians, saying, "As you came for training, I engaged with you in preparing you for pastoral visits. I learned more what hands on pastoral ministry is, as I challenged you with what God has for you. Thank you for seeking me out."

Metropolitan Tikhon, president of the Seminary and chair of the Board of Trustees, opened the Commencement Exercises and conferred degrees upon the graduates. In his closing remarks, he encouraged the senior class to remember to be watchful. "Watchfulness will help you preserve all the virtues you have acquired as you go forward into the world. Watch with your heart and do not simply look. Watch your pastors. Watch your flocks. Watch your neighbors. Watch your enemies. Why? So that you might see Christ in others. May God strengthen and bless all of you. May He inspire all of you to take what you have received here, to go out into the world as watchful servants."

The Valedictorian and Salutatorian were selected by the faculty on the basis of their excellent performance in all aspects of seminary life, including academic work, participation in chapel services, and completion of community service assignments. Class Valedictorian Harrison Russin, Student Ecclesiarch from 2011–2013, also earned a commendation for community service. Harrison was awarded the St. Basil the Great Award for high academic achievement twice during his tenure at St. Vladimir's, and is a gifted musician who sang with the SVOTS Octet all three years. His thesis was titled "The Iconology of Fr. Sergius Bulgakov." Harrison will begin a Ph.D. program in the fall of 2013 at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, studying in the field of musicology.

"Commencement isn't the end, it is the beginning," noted Harrison in his address. "The best analogy for me is to compare this time to Great Lent. Seminary has been a process of death to self, and struggle. Seminary has not been easy—yet today is our Pascha."

Newly ordained second–year seminarian Dn. Nicholas Roth was Salutatorian. "As you leave today, you join the ranks of those who have come before you," Dn. Nicholas said in his remarks. "Our alumni build up Orthodox communities, teach the Orthodox faith, care for those in need. In your time here you started student organizations, gave back to the community, and worked to teach the Orthodox faith to all who would listen. Today we celebrate all you have done and we look to see more of what you do in the future."

This year for the first time, the Student Council presented a new award to a faculty member. Decided by student vote, the St. Macrina the Great Award recognizes the dedication and achievements of a St. Vladimir's professor. In its inaugural year, outgoing Student Council President The Rev. James Parnell presented the award to The Very. Rev. Dr. Alexander Rentel, assistant professor of Canon Law and Byzantine Studies and The John and Paraskeva Skvir Lecturer in Practical Theology. Anna Margheritino, wife of Seminarian Sandro Margheritino, was commissioned to make two icons for the St. Macrina Award; one will be continually displayed on campus, and each year, another will be presented to the Award recipient.

The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, dean, and The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, chancellor/CEO, congratulated and encouraged the graduates as well. "As we said at the liturgy this morning: 'Axios Axios Axios!'" exclaimed Fr. John. "Friends, as you depart from here, never forget the words that Christ said: 'You did not choose me, but I choose you and appointed you that you should bear fruit.'"

President of the Alumni Association Board Gregory Abdalah presented each graduate with a cherry wood frame to display their diplomas, and welcomed them to the St. Vladimir's Alumni Association. "You join over 2000 alumni spread over 20 countries on six continents," noted Mr. Abdalah. "Just like the Apostles went out and preached the Gospel to world, you act as ambassadors who carry on their legacy, as you take St. Vladimir's into the world." 

The entire campus community wishes the Class of 2013 many years!

RELATED LINKS

• Commencement program
• Mother Ines
• Brian Gerich
• Anne Glynn Mackoul
• Nicholas Roth

On Sunday evening, September 15, at 7 o'clock, St. Vladimir's Seminary will host the first Father John Meyendorff Annual Memorial Lecture, featuring The Very Rev. John H. Erickson, dean of St. Vladimir's from 2002–2007, as speaker. The lecture, titled "'Does Christian Tradition Have a Future?' Father John Meyendorff's Question Revisited," will be held in conjunction with SVOTS Alumni Days scheduled for September 15 and 16. Father John Erickson will also be awarded a Doctor of Canon Law degree (honoris causa) at an academic convocation just prior to the lecture, and he will preside at the Divine Liturgy and offer the homily in Three Hierarchs Chapel on Sunday morning.

Protopresbyter John Meyendorff joined the faculty at St. Vladimir's Seminary as professor of Church History and Patristics in 1959, while holding successive joint appointments as lecturer in Byzantine Theology at Harvard University's Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, and as professor of Byzantine History at Fordham University. He also was an adjunct professor at Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary, and lectured widely on university campuses and at church events. He held the position of St. Vladimir's Seminary Dean from March 1984 until June 1992.

A prolific author, Fr. John's publications included the critical text and translation of Byzantine theologian Gregory Palamas (1959), as well as a number of books in the fields of theology and history, such as A Study of Gregory Palamas (French ed., 1959; Engl. 1964); The Orthodox Church (1963); Orthodoxy and Catholicity (1966); Christ in Eastern Christian Thought (1969); Byzantine Theology (1973); Marriage, an Orthodox Perspective (1975); Living Tradition (1978); Byzantium and the Rise of Russia (1980); The Byzantine Legacy in the Orthodox Church (1981); Catholicity and the Church (1983); and Imperial Unity and Christian Divisions: The Church 450-680 AD (1989). His books have been published in German, Italian, Russian, Greek, Finnish, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Serbian, and Polish.

For information about "Alumni Days" on Sunday, September 15th and Monday, September 16th, contact Pdn. Joseph Matusiak, 914-961-8313, x328.

Download a PDF flier of all Fall 2013 Events at SVOTS here.

Email a JPG flier of all Fall 2013 Events at SVOTS here.

It is only in the light of Christ's Resurrection, which is also a liberation from fear and insecurity, that Jesus' Sermon on the Mount becomes truly meaningful. "Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you.... Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume... Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat and what you shall drink... Do not be anxious about tomorrow."

These precepts would be empty words only, if we were not "dead and risen" with Christ in our baptism, if the Risen Lord was not with us "always, to the close of the age" (Matthew 28:29). Our Easter greeting is a cry of victory over death and sin:

"Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!"

~Fr. John Meyendorff, April, 1973

St. Vladimir’s Seminary Chorale Presents ‘Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi’ from Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, directed the majority of the pieces, with assistance from Dr. Nicholas Reeves, assistant professor of Liturgical Music, who led the Chorale in a presentation of his Kievan chant arrangement of Psalm 103 ("Bless the Lord, O My Soul").

Warmly introduced by The Very Rev. Nicholas Anctil, rector of Holy Trinity, the Chorale performed selections appropriate to the Paschal season. The beloved hymns "In the Flesh Thou didst Fall Asleep" (Exapostilarion of Pascha) and "The Angel Cried" were interspersed with other liturgical pieces such as Richard Toensing's "O Gladsome Light." A rich silence was maintained between the hymns to facilitate reflection, and Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield enriched the evening's content with a thoughtful reflection on the Christian's need for continued Paschal proclamation as the answer to the world's—and our own—spiritual need.

While most members of Monday evening's ensemble were St. Vladimir's students, musician Elizabeth A. Ledkovsky also joined the group for the performance, providing a fitting and living link to the past in the Seminary 75th anniversary year. The Ledkovsky family is well known to the St. Vladimir's community; Professor Boris Ledkovsky joined the Seminary faculty in 1953 and served as its choir director in the early years when the Seminary was still located on 121st Street in New York City.  Subsequently his son Alexander Ledkovsky, Elizabeth's father, served as a church musician for many years, conducting the choir for the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign" (Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia) located on Park Avenue.

Read and Listen: Last year's Chorale Concert, "ORIENT," presented at St. Malachy's Chapel in New York City 

Coming Soon! Audio of  'Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi' 

During the spring alumni festivities at Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Nashotah, WI, St. Vladimir's Seminary Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield was honored, along with two other Nashotah alumni, with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Founded in 1842 as a seminary and a mission to native Americans, Nashotah House is an Association of Theological Schools (ATS) peer school with St. Vladimir's Seminary, and the two institutions share a warm, reciprocal relationship that was formalized in 2009 with the signing of a Concordat.

This Concordat, which graces the Gerich Boardroom in the John G. Rangos Building on the SVOTS campus, was signed at the end of a conference titled "In the Footsteps of Tikhon and Grafton," in which the friendship between St. Tikhon of Moscow and North America and the Right Rev. Charles Chapman Grafton, bishop of Fond du Lac, provided the historical foundation for the pledge of "mutual fellowship of prayer and learning in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit." The agreement commits the two schools to pray for each other, to further ecumenical relationships between members of the Orthodox and Anglican traditions, and to continue to work for the reunion of all faithful Christians.

"This year's alumni emphasis was particularly unique," noted Fr. Chad, "in that the spotlight was put on the number of Nashotah House graduates who are now Orthodox or Roman Catholic—clearly communicating the message that Nashotah grads are now functioning in a much wider ecumenical context.

"Indeed," continued Fr. Chad, "due to our concordat relationship with them, we are prayed for every day in their chapel. In a very real sense, I accepted the award not only on a personal basis, but also in recognition of the longstanding relationship between Nashotah House and the Orthodox world."

Most recently in October of 2012, Nashotah House hosted Fr. Chad and His Eminence The Most Rev. Hilarion (Alfeyev), metropolitan of Volokolamsk and chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, for a weekend of meetings that witnessed to the relationship between the Anglican and Orthodox communions—past and present, and nationally and internationally. The weekend especially highlighted the emerging friendship between Metropolitan Hilarion and the Anglican Communion in North America (ACNA).

Father Chad holds three degrees from Nashotah House: a Masters of Divinity ('78), a Masters of Sacred Theology ('88), and a Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa ('08). The Distinguished Alumnus Award honors outstanding alumni "who have demonstrated particular faithfulness and service to Our Lord and their communities, and whose accomplishments, affiliations, and careers have honored the legacy of excellence at Nashotah House." Nominees for the award are evaluated with three key categories in mind: loyalty to the alma mater, level of achievement in his or her professional life, and effectiveness within the arenas of community service and ministry. Recipients are expected to exhibit "integrity and a demonstrated commitment to service through an interest in bettering the lives of others through missionary efforts."

Following the example of Nashotah House, St. Vladimir's Seminary will be designating a distinguished alumnus at the first annual SVOTS Alumni Days event, scheduled for Sept. 15–16, 2013. The event will coincide with the first Father John Meyendorff Annual Memorial Lecture, to be presented by The Very Rev. John H. Erickson, former dean of St. Vladimir's. 

During Bright Week, the New York Area Theological Library Association (NYATLA) convened at St. Vladimir's Seminary for their annual meeting. The Seminary is a founding member of the NYATLA, an interfaith consortium of academic and special libraries in the New York area focusing on religious studies. A welcome and arrival time was followed by the business meeting, in which the NYATLA Board was authorized to pursue a plan for a scholarship and grants program, a new board was elected, and plans were made for the fall meeting's location and agenda. A summer excursion for librarians to the Buddhist Monastery in northern Westchester County was also discussed.

The meeting was followed by lunch and a tour of the SVOTS Library. Everyone remarked on the beauty of the library setting, and on the many services available to the students. Several attendees asked questions about the Koha software system that the library uses. After the library tour, the librarians proceeded to Kunett Auditorium for a presentation on iconography offered by Richard Schneider, visiting professor of Hermeneutics and Liturgical Art at St. Vladimir's. Richard continued the iconographic tour by introducing the guests to the interior of the Three Hierarchs Chapel. Despite the heavy rains, the guests expressed appreciation for the parklike spring setting of the Yonkers campus. 

Find out more about The Father Georges Florovsky Library

For the entire month of May, the foyer of the Rangos Building at St. Vladimir's Seminary is hosting a traveling exhibit, "A Hudson River Journey: 1609-2109." Featuring a series of panels with stunning river photography and original artwork, explanatory text, historic artifacts, maps, and digital media, the exhibit is sponsored by Riverkeeper, a member–supported watchdog organization dedicated to defending the Hudson River and the corresponding tributaries that serve the Hudson Valley's population of nine million people.

Riverkeeper Community Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator Dana Gulley and Riverkeeper Intern Cara Goldfarb arranged for the exhibit, with assistance from SVOTS Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield and third–year seminarian Jesse Brandow, president of the student–run St. Herman's Society for Orthodox Ecology.

"This exhibit has been to a number of schools in the greater NYC area, and we are pleased that we've been able to host it at St. Vladmir's," said Brandow. "Through the exhibit, Riverkeeper has enabled us to educate both visitors and our campus community about our local waterways." Riverkeeper developed the "Hudson River Journey" exhibit in 2009 in honor of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's voyage up the Hudson River. Display panels depict the history of the Hudson from six distinct regions of the river and for three time periods. The advocacy group has been New York's clean water advocate for 44 years, and has helped to establish globally recognized standards for waterway and watershed protection by serving as the model for a growing Waterkeeper movement that includes nearly 200 Keeper programs in the U.S. and abroad.

"We're hoping to work with Riverkeeper more in the future, and are exploring concrete ways of collaborating," noted Brandow. He also explained that in September, the St. Herman's Society will host a lecture with The Rev. Dn. Seraphim Foltz, Ph.D., professor of Philosophy at Eckerd College in Florida. The talk will commemorate the beginning of the ecclesiastical year on September 1st, which His All–Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew has designated as a day of prayer for the protection of the environment. 

Read about the Ecology Club's Crestwood Lake clean–up day

St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary's Board of Trustees will award three honorary doctorates during the school's 74 th Commencement Exercises, Saturday, May 18, 2013. Doctorates of Humane Letters honoris causa will be bestowed upon Trustees Brian Gerich and Anne Glynn Mackoul, and upon Mother Inés Ayau García, abbess of Hogar Rafael Ayau, an Orthodox Christian orphanage in Guatemala.

This year, St. Vladimir's will bestow 8 Master of Divinity, 8 Master of Arts, and 1 Master of Theology degrees; four priests and one deacon will be among the graduates. The Rev. Dr. Sarah Fogg, director of pastoral care at St. John's Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, NY, will be the main commencement speaker. For many years Dr. Fogg has supervised seminary students in their hospital visitation and chaplaincy training at St. John's.

Commencement Exercises will begin with a 2 p.m. Service of Supplication in the campus Chapel of the Three Hierarchs, presided by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and president of the seminary, with Commencement at 2:30 p.m. in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family building. A public reception will follow.

Find directions to St. Vladimir's Seminary here.

The Byzantine Choir of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) chanted the Presanctified Liturgy at St. Vladimir's Three Hierarchs Chapel, with His Grace Bishop Nicholas of Brooklyn in attendance. 

SVOTS Chancellor/CEO The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, along with the newly–ordained Antiochian seminarian Dn. Scott Miller, celebrated the service, which employed the Byzantine style of chant and the rubrics of the Antiochian tradition.  Much preparation went into the Liturgy. Second–year seminarian Ian Abodeely directed the choir and spent a good portion of his day preparing the music and various readings. In the afternoon the Antiochian seminarians met to practice the various hymns used during the service; third–year seminarian Richard Ajalat noted that "it's so nice when we get to hear and sing our familiar Antiochian music."  Ajalat and his brother seminarians gathered around Abodeely, accompanied by St. Vladimir's lecturer in Liturgical Music Hierodeacon Herman on piano, as they practiced the liturgical pieces prior to the Liturgy.

The Antiochian Archdiocese and St. Vladimir's have enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship for six decades, beginning with the enrollment of three Syrian Orthodox students in 1951. Since then numerous Antiochian clergy, academics, and laity have been a part of St. Vladimir's history: faculty and staff, authors, board members, and choirs.

Today this relationship has continued under the direction of Bishop Nicholas, who is the liaison between the Archdiocese and the Seminary. Father Chad noted, "I have personally been very pleased with the working relationship that SVOTS has formed with Bishop Nicholas, and to see his relationship with the Antiochian seminarians here on campus. We have a historic and strong connection with the Antiochian Archdiocese which is continuing under His Grace's oversight."

Alumnus The Rev. John Parker, chairperson of the Department of Evangelization for the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), recently interviewed The Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield, St. Vladimir's Seminary chancellor/CEO, on the podcast "Lord, Send Me!" For the past few years, Fr. Chad has taught a missiology class in which he and his students have discussed the challenges of, and opportunities for, Orthodox evangelization in North America and abroad. His knowledge of missions and outreach are firsthand; he and his wife Thekla previously lived and ministered in cross cultural settings in Alaska and South Africa, and have been involved in planting churches in the U.S. as well.

A member of the Missions Institute Board of Trustees, Fr. Chad also served for sixteen years on the Orthodox Christian Missions Center (OCMC) board and has accompanied St. Vladimir's students on several short term mission and teaching trips to Albania and Guatemala. Knowing that many seminarians will serve in small missions and fledgling parishes, while others will eventually serve overseas, Fr. Chad has encouraged the development of a strong missiology component as a part of the new SVOTS 2020 Strategic Plan, and is coordinating the May 31–June 1 Conference on Poverty at the Seminary.

The full text and audio of the interview are available on Ancient Faith Radio. Below are some excerpts:

˜Christos Yannaris (theologian and author)...once said that to lead an Orthodox Christian life is to engage oneself in a series of risk–takings, and I have always appreciated that phrase. I found that the Lord blesses those who are willing to take those risks."

˜There was a point where I think that Thekla and I were somewhat serious about returning to Africa...but we wanted to go back in a seminary setting. I believed it then, and I believe it today—that's where the action is, and that's where you make the greatest impact on the future of the Church.

˜All of us have to be involved in it (missions). That should be as natural to us as walking. It's the great quote of Archbishop Anastasios of Albania that "a church not engaged in mission is simply not the Church." I'd take that a step further and say that a Christian not engaged in mission is simply not a Christian.

˜People who think that America is an overly secularized country are just dead wrong. We're a very religious country. Go into any Barnes & Noble into the section labeled "Spirituality," and you'll see it's a very long aisle, and every kind of imaginable religious expression is found there...

˜Orthodox Christians have been trying to model the education of our children on Protestant church school models....We need to find our own way to educate our people because...every single denomination will tell you they're failing in Christian education. And we can't afford that. When we're less than one percent of the population. We can't afford to lose a generation or two, and we've already lost too many of them, because we haven't followed the model that St. Innocent gave us. We don't teach and preach in the language of the people. We've become preservation centers.

˜in 2007, the Seminary...launched something called the "Good Pastor" program that put a deeper emphasis on the practical side of the formation of priests and others to serve the Church...we made missiology not just...an offering from time to time, but it became part of the core curriculum.

˜We have to make evangelism a priority. We have to really invest in church growth and giving our churches some vision and hope, and that's where we really need all of our bishops on board. I'm really anxious and ready for the day in which our bishops are singing with one chorus, like a symphony, that all of them are pushing and driving us to say, "Orthodox Christianity is such a precious gift that we possess, we can't hide it any longer and we, the bishops, will actually lead the Church in raising our profile."

˜But maybe the brightest light that I see is we're now beginning...to bear fruit with the various pan–Orthodox gatherings of young people that have been happening over the last several decades. They form friendships, alliances, and they're coming into maturity on their own. They're carrying with them that sense that "We're tired of the old divisions that kept us divided. We recognize that we can't bear that luxury any longer." So I'm seeing amongst the 35–and–under Orthodox some really top talent, and they're not hesitating to take their places of leadership. We need to encourage that and make room for them.