Distance Education
Description and Availability
Academic programs originating in the United States are conducted by the distance learning format, with the exception of those students seeking to be ordained in The Orthodox Anglican Church. For those seeking to be ordained, in addition to the coursework, it is necessary to attend two weekend seminars and two week-long seminars, either in Lexington, NC or Tucson, AZ (please see “Seminar Schedule” link from the Home page).
Courses are sent to the student on CD, with full guidelines, course-specific Study Guides and texts for most classes.
Student work is carefully supervised at St Andrew’s Administrative Centre in Lexington, NC. Typically, two copies of all assignments for a particular course are mailed by the student to the Administrative Centre, where their receipt is recorded and then forwarded to the instructor for grading. The graded assignments are then returned to the Administrative Centre by the instructor and a copy of the graded coursework is recorded and stored in the student’s permanent file. One marked copy of the student’s coursework is then returned to him, along with the grade earned for the course.
Academic programs originating in Italy are conducted in cooperation with the Eastern University of Naples, and require a summer school residential session as well as course work conducted by the distance learning format (please see the “St Andrew’s in Italy” link on the Home Page).
Distance Education and the Training of Clergy
For centuries, the Church nurtured those training for Holy Orders in an environment cut off from the world. The monastery, university, and seminary have, during various times in history, served to make new Priests for Christ's Church. In today's world, the need to prepare godly men for ministry at a distance is paramount. The Orthodox Anglican Communion has adopted exceptional methods to inculcate the holiness required of a Priest and foster the spiritual formation and academic study of her Postulants. In addition to high-quality, academic preparation, delivered at a distance, Postulants participate in a variety of seminars and spiritual retreats that provide the opportunity to study, pray, and celebrate the Sacraments with other Postulants and those in Holy Orders. Further, mentorship and directed spiritual development (i.e. daily, disciplined, devotion and Communion with God) lead to disciplined ministers who lead a life of personal holiness befitting the sacred Priesthood.
