{{orthodoxyinaustralasiaorthodoxyinaustralia}}The '''Melbourne Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, Inc.''' (MIOCS) was established in 2003, with a view to offering the tertiary teaching of Orthodox theological studies to both Orthodox and non-Orthodox people.

The [[Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand]] has had a large role in establishing and coordinating MIOCS, particularly through [[St. Anna Convent (Preston, Australia)|St. Anna's Convent]], and does so with the [[Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (ROCOR)|ROCOR]] Dean of Victoria, Archpriest Michael Protopopov, and the priest is an affiliate body of the [[Church University of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]] parish in Melbourne, Fr Igor Filianovsky. In November 2005, MIOCS elected Metropolitan Archbishop [[Paul (Saliba) through its United Faculty of Australia and New Zealand|Paul Theology (SalibaUFT)]] as president for two yearsat Ormond College in Parkville, Victoria.

MIOCS is Students may study at an affiliate body of the [http://www.unimelb.edu.au/ University of Melbourne], through its [http://www.uft.unimelb.edu.au/ United Faculty of Theology] (UFT) at [http://www.ormond.unimelb.edu.au/ Ormond College] in Parkvilleundergraduate, Victoriapostgraduate or informal level.

Students may study ==History==It was a goal of Metropolitan Archbishop Paul (Saliba) to have locally-based theological education at a tertiary level, for the education of clergy and lay-workers. To that end, he directly supported the establishment of the Melbourne Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, being its onetime president. Since it's establishment in 2003, [[St Anna Convent (Preston, Australia)|St Anna's Convent]] (Antiochian Orthodox) has played a major part in MIOCS, with the [[Superior]], Sister Virginia, being the Registrar and Secretary; as has the [[Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (ROCOR)|ROCOR]] Dean of Victoria, Archpriest [[Michael Protopopov]]. With the support of Rev. Prof. Robert Gribben and the United Faculty of Theology, the first subjects under the aegis of MIOCS were offered in 2004. There has been some turbulance in the history of MIOCS, mainly from Greek Orthodox sources (including in a Greek-Australian newspaper); some of this has centred around the appointment of Dr Christos Galiotis, a graduate of [[St Andrew's Greek Orthodox Theological College (Sydney, Australia)|St Andrew's Greek Orthodox Theological College]], as first president, while others have centred on former lecturers being out of communion with the mainstream Orthodox Church (including a Macedonian Orthodox priest). This has been such that Protopresbyter [[Thomas Hopko]]'s 2003 MIOCS-sponsored lecture was reason enough to deny him an undergraduateaudience at St Andrew's Greek Orthodox Theological College. ==Faculty and Current Lecturers==*Rev. Fr [[John D'Alton]].:President of MIOCS, 2008.*Archpriest [[Michael Protopopov]], BEd, BTheol, MPhil, PhD.:''Dean of Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia, [[Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (ROCOR)|ROCOR]]''.:Deputy President of MIOCS, 2007.:Lecturer in ''The Formative Years of the Church'' in 2008.*Sister [[Virginia (Hutchinson)]]:''Superior of [[St. Anna Convent (Preston, Victoria)|St. Anna's Convent]], Preston, Victoria''.:Secretary and Registrar of MIOCS.*Professor [[Trevor Batrouney]], BA, BEd, MEd, PhD.:''Formerly treasurer of MIOCS, 2004-05, and president of MIOCS, 2005''.:Visiting Lecturer in ''Immigration and the Orthodox Churches in Australia'' in 2008.*Dr Heshmat Keroloss, BA, MA, MTheol, PhD.:Visiting Lecturer in ''Introduction to Orthodox Spiritual Life'' and ''Orthodox Spiritual Life'' in 2008. ===Presidents of MIOCS===*Dr [[Christos Galiotis]], BTh ([[St. Andrew's Greek Orthodox Theological College (Sydney, Australia)|SAGOTC]]), PhD.:President of MIOCS, 2004-05.*Professor [[Trevor Batrouney]], BA, BEd, MEd, PhD.:President of MIOCS, 2005.*His Eminence [[Paul (Saliba) of Australia and New Zealand]].:''Metropolitan Archbishop of Australia and New Zealand, Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese'':President of MIOCS, Nov 2005 to 2007.*Rev. Fr [[John D'Alton]].:President of MIOCS, 2008 to present. ===Past lecturers===*His Grace [[Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney|Hilarion of Sydney]].:''Archbishop of Australia and New Zealand, ROCOR Diocese of Australia and New Zealand'':Visiting Lecturer in ''Church Slavonic'' in 2006.*Archimandrite [[Themistocles (Adamopoulo)]], postgraduate or informal levelPhD.:Former Lecturer.*Rev. Fr Igor Filianovsky:Former Lecturer.*Rev. Fr Jovan Takovski.:Visiting Lecturer in ''The Biblical Roots of the Doctrine of Theosis'' in 2006. ==External links==*[http://www.miocs.net Official Home Page].*[http://mytripjournal.com/pv/55891-25-1-0-0 Photo of where MIOCS meets]*[http://www.australianorthodox.org.au/news_item.php?newsItem=39 MIOCS Commencement Service] for 2006.*[http://www.australianorthodox.org.au/photo_gallery.php?dir=MIOCS%20Service%202006 Photo Gallery] of the 2006 Commencement Service.*[http://www.russianchurchindandenong.com.au/popProto.htm Biography of Archpriest Michael Protopopov]. ===Affiliates===*[http://www.unimelb.edu.au/ University of Melbourne]*[http://www.uft.unimelb.edu.au/ United Faculty of Theology]*[http://www.ormond.unimelb.edu.au/ Ormond College]

==External Links=={{AOANZOinstitutions}}*[http[Category:Orthodoxy_in_Australia]][[Category://www.australianorthodox.org.au/news_item.php?newsItem=19 Official Home PageEducational Institutions]] - The source of the text in this article.