A message from

Dean of Students at WOTI

Abouna +Gregori, Corbishop, Abbot

Physical Mailing Address Change as of April 15, 2007:

P.O. Box 1652, Columbus, NM 88029

Church International Communications Headquarters Telephone:

(575) 531-0021

Greetings and blessings to all in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit;

I wish to thank his Excellency Archbishop Joseph Thaddeus for his confidence in me to fulfill the duties as Dean of Students of the Western Orthodox Theological Institute.

As the new Dean of Students of the Western Orthodox Theological Institute of the American Orthodox Church/North American Orthodox Church, I wish to extend a very warm welcome to each of our enrolled seminary students and to all who visit this web site, on behalf of  our Metropolitan Archbishop Joseph Thaddeus and myself.

Please understand that we are an Orthodox Catholic training Institute. This means that we hold to the treasury of the teachings and worship of the Undivided Church of the first millennium. We adhere to the Scriptures unchanged in their original form, not only in the New Testament Books, but also those of the Old Testament. We also hold to the oral teachings and Sacred Traditions which the Church received from Jesus Christ and his Apostles. The American Orthodox Church/North American Orthodox Church has not added any of the innovations of teaching and worship which have been adopted by the later separated churches (i.e., the Roman Catholic, Anglican and various Protestant churches), we maintain continuity in teachings and worship as they were delivered by the One Undivided Church.  Therefore, let it be understood that we do not ordain women to the priesthood, nor do we recognize such women who have been “ordained” and/or “consecrated” by other jurisdictions as being legitimate members of the clergy. We do, on occasion, ordain women to the order of deacon, but it is understood that the duties of female deacons is not the same as those of male deacons. Also, we will not, under any circumstances, perform any “same-sex” unions or marriages, nor will we recognize such unions or marriages performed by other jurisdictions as being valid or legitimate, even if secular laws declare such unions or marriages valid.

Let it also be known that we will not ordain any “openly and active” homosexual men to the priesthood, under any circumstances. We will ordain those with homosexual tendencies, but they must take and adhere to the vow of chastity (celibacy). Once they have been ordained, and they violate this vow, they will be stripped of their priestly duties and excommunicated from this jurisdiction. We do allow for married clergy, but they must marry prior to ordination to the deaconate. I have stated all of this so that those wishing to enter into our jurisdiction and enroll into W.O.T.I will be fully aware of where we stand and that full acceptance of all of the above is required.

It has been my unfortunate observation, over the years, that many bishops of Independent jurisdictions, including those who claim to be Orthodox have ordained men to the priesthood or have even consecrated others to the episcopacy who have NEVER had any sort of real training and education. My intention is to put that in the past and to start a training program to prepare all future priests, deacons, monks and nuns for the life they have been called to follow.

Through this website, our students will receive a basic education in the history of Orthodoxy, the history and development of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and many other topics that will help each individual student to better perform and succeed in their ministry.

In the spirit of true Christian love and brotherhood, I wish to extend an invitation to the hierarchs of other independent jurisdictions to feel free to urge their candidates for the priesthood to enroll into W.O.T.I for their training. For those who do so, I will notify their bishop(s) as to their progress and then when they have satisfactorily completed a required course of study I will notify their bishop that they are ready for ordination. Be aware that we are not an accredited institute of higher learning, therefore, we do not issue degrees, however, we do issue Certificates of Education upon completion of the various courses.

Right now, the W.O.T.I site is a “work in progress” which means that there will be new lessons added as I get them completed. If any one has any questions concerning W.O.T.I, or the American Orthodox Church/North American Orthodox Church, please do not hesitate to contact Metropolitan Archbishop Joseph Thaddeus at:

thaddeus@apostle1.com

or

abouna@apostle1.com

So, to each of you who enroll in W.O.T.I, may I say that I pray that your educational experience may be a blessed and edifying one, and I wish each of you the best as you prepare spiritually and mentally to serve our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

“Abouna”

Very Rev. Archimandrite Gregori

Go To: WOTI CATALOG OF COURSES

•Ancient Canons/Seven Ecumenical Councils  

•An Understanding of the Ancient Canons

• Ancient Canons/Seven Ecumenical Councils

• A bit of understanding about the Fundamentalist Cults....

• Modern Day Ecumenism and its horrors

•  How Many Times