Date: April 24, 2023
On Friday into Saturday, we had our Embracing Inclusivity conference. It was a joy to have the Rev. Dr. Tony Lewis with us; he offered a plenary address at 12.30pm on Friday; then we had a Reparations Forum, which flowed into a Reception followed by a Dinner and Keynote from Dr. Catherine Meeks. On Saturday, the day started with a Holy Eucharist followed by a Faculty and Alumni event, which culminated in a lecture from the Rev. Dr. Mark Jefferson.
I am very grateful to Celal Kamran who worked so hard to put the program together; and the initiative was headed up by Acting Associate Dean Rachelle Sam. The occasion was a great success. I am grateful.
On Sunday, we had the descendants luncheon. The weather was lovely as we sat outside Scott Lounge. Some had made the journey from New Jersey; others had driven thirty to fifty miles; and others, again, were nearer. When VTS started this work under the Rev. Dr. Joe Thompson and Ms. Ebonee Davis, the Seminary just knew the names of three African Americans who labored on this campus under slavery, segregation, and Jim Crow. Now we have three pages. I found the reading of the names so moving. We must remember them.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and President of The General Theological Seminary