The Board of Directors of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary met for their 42nd annual meeting on October 17 at the Seminary in New Rochelle, New York.
The Board acted upon a number of significant issues which will greatly affect its mission and work in the coming years, namely the full accreditation of the Seminary's two graduate programs and the construction of a new chapel and library/theological center on the Seminary grounds. The major share of the $3.3 million construction plan have already been pledged by a single benefactor. Ground-breaking is thus planned for Spring, 2004.
The new facility will be an integral factor in the ongoing process of preparing for full accreditation by the State of New York and the Association of Theological Schools in North America. The Board appointed an Accreditation Committee to oversee the accreditation process, which could see the fruits of its labors within five years.
This year St. Nersess has 9 students preparing for ordination, plus more than 30 students enrolled in the Seminary's evening/extension program. In addition more than two dozen American-Armenian prospective students are in line to begin their studies at St. Nersess in the coming years.
Expressing his gratitude and confidence in the Board's aggressive plan for growth and development, V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan, Dean of the Seminary, said, "As the only Armenian seminary in the western hemisphere, our legacy is--and we are committed to--the education and training of those who have been called to serve God, our Church and our people."