Date: February 9, 2026
On Friday evening at The General Theological Seminary, we had the joy of conferring the Dean’s Cross on two remarkable recipients: Stephen Colbert and Evelyn McGee Colbert. The Dean’s Cross honors the well-formed life. It reflects our conviction that theological education is not only about intellectual excellence, but also about formation – shaping lives marked by authenticity, integrity, and a faith lived openly and faithfully in the world. The Cross is given to those who embody this vision in their lives and vocations.
To live such a life in the public eye is especially demanding. Visibility brings scrutiny, and with it criticism and pressure. Yet Stephen and Evie, as she is known to friends, have modeled a steady and gracious Christian witness amid challenging and often unforgiving circumstances. They remind us that faithfulness is not withdrawn from public life but practiced within it, with courage, humility, and perseverance.
The evening itself was memorable and beautifully executed. The music, composed by Buck McDaniel, artist-in-residence at GTS, together with Dr. Marty Burnett, Director of Church Music at VTS, was superb, and the choir sang magnificently. Dinner followed in Hoffman Hall. I am deeply grateful to all who traveled to New York to be part of this celebration, and especially to the Rev. Dr. Michael DeLashmutt, Senior Vice President of GTS and Dean of Chapel, and Ms. Taryn Habberley, who orchestrated countless details with skill and grace. It was, in every sense, a special evening.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of the Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary