Category: Dean’s Commentary

Friday, October 23, 2020

As we continue to celebrate the upcoming retirements of those who have served the Seminary so faithfully, we also pause to celebrate those who are taking on new roles. Please join me in congratulating the following staff members on their new positions effective Monday, October 26, 2020.     Cassandra Gravina – After serving as the […]

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Thursday, October 22, 2020

Ten years ago today, the 1881 Chapel went up in flames. It was a Friday; the weather was warm and hot. The story has been told a thousand times: flames were noticed in mid-afternoon; the first responders did amazing work as they made sure that the fire did not leap to Meade Hall and cause […]

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Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Two weeks ago, Lesley, Luke, and I went and voted in the 2020 election. We made the journey to Old Town, went to 132 North Royal Street, Suite 100, walked in, and cast our ballots. Our decision for this year’s election has been made. Our votes are in the system. There were no lines; it […]

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Tuesday, October 20, 2020

October 10, 2010, was the date of the first post for the Building Faith website. Ten years later the site is on its fourth iteration and is home to thousands of articles on Christian formation and discipleship. Have a look at the team’s own reflections on this milestone in this article.     Leadership of Building Faith has changed over the years, […]

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Monday, October 19, 2020

The Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, along with Lifelong Learning at VTS, will host a Gathering on Liturgical Formation, a formation opportunity on the liturgy of the Episcopal Church. This event will be held online via Zoom teleconferencing today and tomorrow. The purpose of this symposium is to: -Articulate current initiatives of the SCLM […]

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Friday, October 16, 2020

Yesterday we celebrated our founding in 1823 by inviting all of our friends and alumni to participate in our annual Giving Day tradition! By 4:00 yesterday, this 24-hour event had raised more than $28,000 for renovations to the Bishop Payne Library through the Bicentennial Campaign. Hundreds of alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends shared messages […]

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Thursday, October 15, 2020

Preparing our students to understand the rich history, literary genres, and theological contexts of Scripture has been a priority of VTS from its inception. A vital tool in this endeavor is the study of the original languages of the Bible, particularly Hebrew and Greek. VTS remains committed to this preparation by requiring all M.Div. and […]

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Wednesday, October 14, 2020

As the adage goes, once a part of VTS, always a part of VTS. The Rev. William (Bill) Roberts recently let me know about a little book from 1999 about a Primitive Baptist hymnal, The Primitive Hymns, compiled in 1841 in Alabama by Benjamin Lloyd. The folklorist who meticulously traced its editions (it is still […]

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Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Today Convocation goes virtual. We have 200 or so alums signed up for the day. It starts at 11 a.m. with the Alumni Business Meeting and finishes at 6 p.m. after Evening Prayer. The highlight is definitely the privilege of hearing Dr. Gary Dorrien. Dr. Dorrien is probably one of the country’s leading social ethicists. […]

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Monday, October 12, 2020

A soy latte can be a tricky beverage to prepare. So as I placed my order at the Flamingo, Mike Gumulauskas walked behind the counter. “This one is hard,” he explained as he stepped in to help. And a perfect soy latte emerged. A few days earlier Mike had stopped me in the Grove. “While […]

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