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Apostolic Confraternity Seminary
Apostolic Confraternity Seminary is an Orthodox Catholic seminary program operating under the auspices of the Spanish Orthodox Church and EACS. It is directed by the Metropolitan Archbishop/President.
The seminary program offers a Diploma and an Advanced Diploma at this time. They are issued directly by the church. The church does not charge tuition or fees; however, professional fees are charged by the instructor for tutoring and document preparation.
The program is designed to prepare a man for the holy priesthood. The advanced program is designed to develop the priest further.
Assignments are sent to the instructor as emails. All references are available on the Internet. We provide references to websites. There are no textbooks to purchase. Vast resources are available on the Internet.
Grading in the Seminary Program
All courses are on a "Pass" or "Fail" grading system. If a student has not correctly completed the assignment, it must be repeated until it is acceptable.
Refer to the course descriptions for courses. Refer to the discussion of Professional Fees for costs in the program as well as those to establish and maintain a ministry. Our structure keeps the costs low and saves everyone time and needless effort.
Professional Fees
My fees are as follows:
Licenses for Deacons, Priests and Special Appointments
The term license indicates "faculties" for one in holy orders here.
The fee for a license is now $120 per 2 year period for each deacon and priest. Each license will have a two year expiration. A second license fee (such as for a special appointment) will only be the document charge of $25. Any priest or deacon will not be required to take on special appointments; regular active ministry is all that is required. An example of a special appointment is as an Episcopal Vicar, the archbishop's representative for a region. An Episcopal Vicar must be a priest.
Clergy conducting a nursing home ministry are exempt from license fees. They only pay a document fee of $25.
Nursing home ministry means that the priest or deacon is providing Mass or a Holy Communion Service in a facility for a group.
Identification Cards
ID cards will be $25 each (when available).
Certificates for Religious
Religious only pay a one time document charge of $25 for their certificate. Religious are those in Third Orders and fully professed Religious Exemptions: Those in nursing home ministries, enrolled in seminary, unemployed, students and seniors over 65. Those exempted will get their certificates for free.
Charters for Churches, Missions and Religious Orders
Charters for religious orders, churches and missions are $60 for a two year period. It too is a license and must be renewed. No ministerial entity may be operated without a charter from me. A charter may be issued in any acceptable name. Examples: St Paul's Orthodox Catholic Mission, Ecumenical Orthodox Catholic Mission, The Order of St. Paul, The Military Order of St. John and St. George, etc.
Letters to Government and Private Agencies
Verification letters or invitation letters to agencies--public or private--are $25 each.
All postage must also be reimbursed. If the agency is outside the USA the postage will need to be paid in advance.
Tutoring Fees
Tutoring is $300 per calendar quarter for the seminary program. It needs to be paid monthly ($100). The diploma charge is $25.00. A transcript will be issued for $50.00.
The cost is very low for seminary instruction. I do this so that men in developing countries can afford it.
Postage and Shipping
All postage above $1 must be reimbursed. Look at the envelope and write a check for it.
Again, I am now requiring that all postage and shipping outside the USA to be paid in advance.
Unless you are told otherwise, the check is to be made payable to +David L. Cooper.
Again, as far as the licensing, tutoring and document preparation of letters, etc., make the check payable to me. These are my personal professional fees. The church has no employees and no funds..
Our Costs and Needs
I will donate to the church what it needs as I have always done since 1987
We have not had any donations to the church to amount to anything.
This system is necessary in order to have funds to operate. We can not maintain our websites, pay for postage, etc. on thin air. I must resort to personal fees and make donations as needed.
Final Notes
We do not take vows of poverty. Our position is that the poor can not afford to help anyone. We want men who can afford to support a ministry as St. Paul did. Even so, a "servant is worthy of his wages." We allow you to charge honoraria (fees) for your weddings, baptisms, 1st Communions, etc. We never charge for ordinations or confessions/reconciliation
We will charge fees for facility use and time for travel. The church does not charge any fees. Members may charge fees for their own services.
We want men who are willing to work at a secular job and provide services for the forgotten and neglected in nursing homes, prisons, etc. If you can build a church and the congregation will support you that is fine.
I receive emails from all over the world. I am writing this so that there is no misunderstanding. We do not have the funds to support foreign missions and building churches there.
What we can do for you is get you into holy orders and provide documents and credentials. Since our resources are limited, I must charge these fees so that we can grow. In this age, it means websites and website development. I pay for this myself.
I hope that this provides sufficient clarification.
Yours in the Love of Christ,
+David Leon Cooper, KTG, OMM, OCC
Metropolitan Archbishop
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Churches in Communion
The Catholic Apostolic Orthodox Jerusalemite rite Church.
Communion of Autocephalous Ecclesiastical Jerusalemite and Primitive.(Holy Throne Primate) (+Alexander Maia, "Alexander I" current Primate)
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