Programs

Formation for Ordained Ministry in the Dutch Old Catholic Tradition

The Old Catholic Institute offers two graduate-level formation programs for those called to ordained ministry in the Old Catholic Churches International. Both programs are fully online, self-paced, and asynchronous, with rolling enrollment. There are no residency requirements. All courses are taught by Bishop Greer Godsey from within the Dutch Old Catholic tradition of the Oud-Katholieke Kerk van Nederland.

These are not casual certificate programs. They are rigorous graduate seminary degrees requiring serious study, sustained prayer, practical formation, and the kind of personal accountability that ordained ministry demands. If you are called, we will help form you. If you are not yet sure, we will help you discern.

Diaconal Formation Program

DIAC | 72 Credit Hours | 3 Years | 5 Practica

The Diaconal Formation Program prepares candidates for ordination to the diaconate in the apostolic succession of the Dutch Old Catholic Church. The program is offered in two tracks:

Track 1: Permanent Diaconate For those called to serve as permanent deacons. The deacon serves at the altar, assists in the proclamation of the Gospel, and ministers to those in need. The permanent diaconate is an ancient order with its own integrity, not a stepping stone to the priesthood.

Track 2: Transitional Diaconate For those preparing for eventual ordination to the priesthood. Ordination to the diaconate is required before ordination to the priesthood. Students on the transitional track typically proceed into the Priestly Formation Program upon completion.

Program Structure

The 72-credit-hour curriculum is organized across three years of formation, combining graduate coursework in Scripture, theology, liturgy, homiletics, sacramental theology, and pastoral care with five supervised practica that bring classroom learning into direct contact with ministry.

Year One: Biblical and Theological Foundations Students begin with the foundational disciplines of ministry: the Old and New Testaments, church history, and systematic theology. Every course is taught from the perspective of the Dutch Old Catholic tradition, with the patristic consensus and the Declaration of Utrecht as theological reference points.

Core courses include the following:

  • BIBL601: Introduction to the Old Testament for Ministry
  • BIBL602: Introduction to the New Testament for Ministry
  • THEO601: History of the Catholic Church
  • THEO602: Introduction to Systematic Theology
  • SPIR601: Spiritual Formation and the Interior Life
  • PRAC601: Practicum I (Supervised Ministry Observation)

Year Two: Liturgy, Sacraments, and Proclamation Students move into the disciplines most directly connected to liturgical and sacramental ministry: liturgics in the Dutch Old Catholic tradition, sacramental theology, homiletics, and pastoral care.

Core courses include the following:

  • LITU601: Liturgics in the Dutch Old Catholic Tradition
  • SACR601: Sacramental Theology
  • HOMI601: Homiletics
  • PAST601: Pastoral Care and Ministry
  • ECCL601: Ecclesiology and Church Polity
  • PRAC602: Practicum II (Liturgical Ministry)
  • PRAC603: Practicum III (Homiletical Ministry)

Year Three: Specialized Formation and Ordination Preparation Students complete specialized coursework and intensive practicum formation in preparation for ordination.

Core courses include the following:

  • BIBL603: Biblical Languages for Ministry
  • THEO603: Moral and Ethical Theology
  • DIAC601: The Theology and History of the Diaconate
  • DIAC602: Diaconal Ministry in Practice
  • ECUM601: Ecumenism and the Old Catholic Tradition
  • PRAC604: Practicum IV (Pastoral and Diaconal Ministry)
  • PRAC605: Practicum V (Pre-Ordination Capstone)

Priestly Formation Program (M.Div.)

PRST | 96 Credit Hours | 4 Years | 8 Practica

The Priestly Formation Program leads to the Master of Divinity degree and prepares candidates for ordination to the priesthood in the apostolic succession of the Dutch Old Catholic Church. The priest is the ordinary minister of the sacraments, the preacher, and the pastor of a community. The weight of this calling requires the most thorough preparation the Institute offers.

Students in the Priestly Formation Program are ordained to the diaconate at the conclusion of Year Three, serving in diaconal ministry while completing their final year of formation. Ordination to the priesthood follows upon the successful completion of Year Four.

The program is offered in two tracks:

Track 1: Full Program For those entering without prior diaconal formation. The full 96-credit-hour curriculum moves through four years of integrated formation from foundational biblical and theological study through advanced coursework, pastoral formation, and ordination.

Track 2: Transitional from DIAC For those who have completed the Diaconal Formation Program. Transitional students complete approximately 41 additional credit hours covering the advanced coursework and practica required for priestly ordination. Prior coursework is credited toward the degree.

Program Structure

Years One and Two: Foundational Formation Students complete the same biblical, theological, and pastoral foundations as the Diaconal program, with additional depth in systematic theology, patristics, and moral theology. All BIBL, THEO, LITU, SACR, and HOMI coursework is completed during these years.

Year Three: Advanced Formation and Diaconal Ordination Students complete advanced coursework in pastoral theology, ecclesiology, and specialized ministerial formation, alongside four practica in increasing levels of responsibility. Students who successfully complete Year Three requirements are ordained to the transitional diaconate at the end of this year, serving in diaconal ministry as they complete their final formation.

Advanced coursework includes:

  • BIBL604: Hermeneutics and Biblical Theology
  • THEO604: Advanced Sacramental and Dogmatic Theology
  • HOMI602: Advanced Homiletics and Liturgical Preaching
  • PAST602: Advanced Pastoral Theology
  • DIAC603: Theology and Practice of the Diaconate
  • DIAC604: Clinical Pastoral Education
  • PRAC601 through PRAC606: Six supervised practica across Years One through Three

Year Four: Priestly Formation and Ordination Preparation The final year is dedicated to the integration of all prior formation with specific preparation for priestly ministry: presidency at the Eucharist, sacramental reconciliation, anointing of the sick, and the full pastoral responsibility of a priest. Two final practica in Year Four conclude the program, followed by ordination to the priesthood upon successful completion of all requirements.

Final year courses include:

  • PRST601: The Theology of the Priesthood
  • PRST602: Sacramental Presidency and Liturgical Leadership
  • PRST603: Pastoral Administration and Canon Law
  • PRAC607: Practicum VII (Eucharistic and Sacramental Ministry)
  • PRAC608: Practicum VIII (Pre-Ordination Priestly Capstone)

Common Features of Both Programs

Fully Online and Self-Paced: All courses are delivered entirely online, asynchronously, with no required meeting times. Students work at their own pace within the structure of the program sequence. Modules must be completed in order, but there is no fixed deadline on when each course must be completed. This format makes genuine graduate seminary formation accessible to working adults, those with family responsibilities, and those in geographically isolated areas.

Rolling Enrollment: Students may begin the program at any time. There are no fixed semester start dates.

All Resources Free: Every resource in every course, including video lectures, readings, and primary texts, is freely available online. No textbooks need to be purchased.

Chicago/Turabian Scholarship: All written work, including research papers, follows Chicago/Turabian Notes-Bibliography citation format. Both programs include multiple research papers designed to produce theologically mature, properly documented academic writing at the graduate level.

Dutch Old Catholic Theological Identity: Every course is taught from within the tradition of the Oud-Katholieke Kerk van Nederland. Students encounter the patristic consensus, the Declaration of Utrecht (1889), and the seven sacraments as the theological framework of their formation, not as optional perspectives alongside others.

Admissions

To inquire about admission to either program or to begin a vocational discernment conversation with Bishop Godsey, please contact the Institute directly through the contact page. There are no application deadlines. Admission is by vocational discernment and is conducted personally by Bishop Godsey.

All programs are offered by the Old Catholic Institute, a seminary of the Old Catholic Churches International, founded in 2015.