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Priest Theophan Whitfield, a Doctor of Ministry [D.Min] student at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, Yonkers, NY, is determined to help strengthen the commitment of Orthodox Christians to compassionate ministry to the poor and suffering and is looking for input to complete his research.
Father Theophan, who graduated from Saint Vladimir’s Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree in 2010, is part of the Doctor of Ministry Cohort of 2017. He is beginning the field work portion of his D.Min. project, titled “The Servant Parish Project”.
“My D.Min. project has picked up a great deal of momentum since I watched the first of my brothers in the Cohort receive their degrees in January,” said Father Theophan. “They inspired me a great deal to work with greater focus on a project that I care deeply about.”
The heart of Father Theophan’s project is a survey related to the focus of the study. Volunteers are invited to take the survey online.
“Father Alexander Schmemann provides the inspiration for this project,” Father Theophan stated. “In 1965, Father Alexander wrote about the need to replace the false ideal of ‘serving the parish’ with the concept of ‘the parish as servant.’”
Research results and analyses from The Servant Parish Project will be published on Father Theophan’s project page in draft form as they become available.
In addition to pursuing graduate studies, Father Theophan serves as Rector of Saint Nicholas Church, Salem, MA.
