ACTS Launches Servants' Preparation Program

St. Athanasius and St. Cyril Coptic Orthodox Theological School joyfully announces the launch of the Servants Preparation Program for the Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California and Hawaii. This program is designed to provide existing and future servants of the Diocese with basic knowledge and fundamental building blocks for service.

This program consists of 10 courses that can be taken between 6 months and 2 years, depending of the number of units registered for per semester. MOST of these courses are available online, via recorded lectures. Yet, we are hoping to have all of these available by the end of 2016.

The total list of courses is as follows

1. Old Testament I

2. New Testament I

3. Liturgical Studies I

4. Patristics I

5. Church History I

6. Dogmatic Theology I

7. Apologetics I

8. Counseling or Youth Ministry

9. Coptic Language

10. Orthodox Spirituality

The above are survey courses intended to provide an overview of each subject matter. Consequently, students should not assume that higher level courses (e.g., Patristics II, Church History III) will meet this purpose.

Upon completion of the 10 courses, students will then sit for a comprehensive examination, which will be offered at least once per year.

Taking the courses and passing the examination does not guarantee the right to serve in any parish, but allows them to meet the minimum requirements to serve. This program is not intended to replace the current servants’ preparation programs in the various parishes of the Diocese, but to supplement them with the fundamental knowledge required for service. Servants also will need several hours of training and discipleship from experienced servants in each parish.

By the year 2020, all those serving in each parish church will be required to have passed this examination. This first round of instruction is specifically designed for those servants who are preparing other servants of the diocese, and the “head” servants in each parish.

Each semester, ACTS will offer one course specifically designed for this Servants’ Preparation program. The first course of this nature will be Liturgical Studies I offered by Fr. Felimon Mikhail on Tuesdays, from 7:00-9:00pm starting January 12, 2016.

Please register today for this course.