Date: June 13, 2025
When I first met Ian Markham, he had just arrived at VTS as our new Dean and President. I was a second-year seminarian, and he brought with him a spirit of optimism and a deep love for the Church. I remember the elective he taught—“Do We All Go to Heaven?”—where he encouraged us to see God’s grace moving through all people, no matter their background or faith tradition. That class opened my eyes to the powerful ways the Risen Christ works in our world.
From those early days to my years on the Alumni Executive Council and then as a member of the Board of Trustees, I watched Ian lead VTS with remarkable courage and faith. He shepherded us through challenges like the chapel fire, always reminding us that God’s Spirit could—and would—guide us to something new and life-giving. Ian has a unique gift for inviting communities to pray deeply and to act boldly. His leadership in establishing VTS’s reparations program and guiding the seminary through its transformative affiliation with General Seminary showed me that the Gospel is always at the heart of his decisions.
I am proud to call Ian my colleague and my friend. His unwavering commitment to proclaiming Jesus Christ has left an indelible mark on our beloved seminary and the wider Church. VTS—and the Episcopal Church—will continue to be shaped by Ian Markham’s visionary leadership for years to come. Thanks be to God for his ministry and his faithful witness. We are all profoundly grateful.
The Very Rev. Troy Mendez
Chair, Trustees Committee
Virginia Theological Seminary & The General Theological Seminary Board of Trustees