St. Tikhon’s Seminary Board of Trustees meets

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, presided over the winter meeting of the Board of Trustees of St. Tikhon’s Seminary in South Canaan, PA, March 19-20, 2009.

St. Tikhon's Seminary Board of Trustees meetsThe two-day gathering of 20 trustees from across the country began with day-long committee meetings and a session of the full board on Friday.

In his address as President of the seminary, Metropolitan Jonah expressed his full support to the school’s trustees.

“I am committed to St. Tikhon’s Seminary — to see it grow, flourish, and develop to its fullest potential,” Metropolitan Jonah said. “The Board has the opportunity to make the school better; but this will demand sacrifice and commitment on the part of the trustees — to properly oversee the operation of the seminary.”

Metropolitan Jonah explained that the Board, administration, faculty, and staff must work together in a conciliar, ecclesial manner in all things.

“May God bless and keep you in fulfilling this responsibility, which should be understood by each of you as an offering of love,” Metropolitan Jonah concluded.

On the agenda for the meeting were remarks by the Seminary Rector, His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of the Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania; and reports by the Dean of the seminary, the Very Rev. Michael G. Dahulich, Ph.D., and the Academic Dean, the Very Rev. Alexander Golubov, Ph.D. Reports were also presented by the Committees on Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs; Finance and Business Affairs; Buildings and Grounds; Development and Public Affairs; and Trustees, as well as by the school’s auxiliary organizations, including the Century Association and the Alumni Association.

St. Tikhon's Seminary Board of Trustees meetsAt the meeting, it was decided that David C. Ford, Ph.D., who has taught Church History for many years and chairs the Department of Church History and Patristics, be promoted to the rank of Full Professor.

Among the other items of discussion among the trustees were progress on the self-study report in preparation for the November 2009 site visitation by the accrediting team from the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada; the proposed budget for the 2009-2010 academic year; renovations to the seminary’s main building; and the election of new trustees.

In his report to the trustees, Fr. Michael noted that “in the four months since our last meeting, much has gone on in the life of St. Tikhon’s Seminary. We have broken yet another ‘record’ in enrollment, more new babies have been born to our many married students, our largest class in history is graduating, and new deacons and priests have already been ordained — with even more awaiting the laying-on-of-hands by their hierarchs. All these are signs of ‘new life’ in the Church and the continued work of the Holy Spirit at our theological school.”