If you go to the website “Word in Black” you will find a fascinating article on Willie Pearl Mackey King. You can read it here. As you know a version of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail was recently discovered in the African American Episcopal Historical Collection, among the papers of Bishop […]
Cultivate VTS is a wonderful expression of care for creation and community life. This year the apiary grew from two hives to four and produced around 100 pounds of honey—a harvest achieved a full year earlier than expected. The hope is to keep both the Flamingo and Welcome Center stocked with VTS honey throughout the […]
Today, Senior Vice President Nicky Burridge, Chief of Staff Taryn Habberley, and I will make the journey to New York. This is the day when Vanderbilt University formally opens the Close with a view to welcoming a hundred-plus undergraduates to New York next week. Technically, Vanderbilt University is the tenant, and The General Theological Seminary […]
We are living at an extraordinary time in terms of technological options. As I age I am deeply aware of how easy it is to get left behind by technology. We all know people who cannot find Netflix on their smart TV. So I am constantly experimenting with new possibilities. One that I am finding […]
I hesitate to advertise things too far in advance, but the start of the semester has lots of cool things going on. I alluded to the Ecumenical and Interfaith conference yesterday. Today I want to highlight the Have Mercy Book Launch on September 1, 2026. This is not simply a very fine collection of essays […]
One joy of being at VTS is that you can get to hear from some of the most important speakers in the theological and ecumenical world. In honor of the retiring director of the Washington Theological Consortium, the Rev. Dr. Larry Golemon, VTS is hosting a conversation on Ecumenical Learning and Interfaith Dialogue. It will […]
I am still not sure what exactly caused the electricity outage yesterday afternoon, but the power went out across the entire campus. No internet, no AC, no electricity. It is worth pausing and explaining our protocols in such an eventuality. We start by asking facilities to reach out to Dominican Power to ascertain a likely […]
I want to take this moment to recognize and apologize to those who were victims of the water tank break in the Mission Hall basement. I am so sorry. It did need that there was significant water damage to all those who left items in the basement. Many of these things money can replace; there […]
August term is a significant lift. It requires lots of work. Students arrive. Housing needs to be sorted. The Refectory needs to be ready. An orientation needs to be arranged. Swipe cards need to be printed. Class rosters need to be checked. Technology training videos need to be made. Ministry fair needs to be coordinated. […]
One of my favorite lines by the Rev. Dr. Tricia Lyons who was talking about her wife Dr. Lisa Kimball was, “Lisa was always in chapel because she knew it was easier to make the decision once to go to chapel every day than to wake up every day and decide whether or not to […]