Date: May 25, 2026
This week the Center for Anglican Communion Studies (CACS) team is pleased to share our thoughts and reflections on our work and ministries. Today we begin with a reflection on Commencement. On May 7th, the CACS celebrated as the class of 2026 transitioned from seminarians to graduates of Virginia Theological Seminary. This year we say goodbye to an extraordinary group of leaders and we at the Center are excited to follow and support their journeys as they unfold.
We are especially grateful for the contributions of our graduating student employees, Daniel Bentley and Nonhlanhla Shezi, whose intelligence, dedication, and collaborative spirit enriched our office. Without a doubt, their presence and service will be greatly missed, and we wish them and their fellow graduates every success in the years ahead.
During Commencement, VTS recognizes a graduating student who exemplifies an exceptional commitment to discerning God’s mission through World Anglicanism. This year, the Anglican Communion prize was awarded to Nonhlanhla (Noni) Shezi, whose leadership and vision for ministry embody the spirit of the award and the mission it celebrates.
Noni (M.Div) was born in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and was baptized in the Church of England and raised in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. Many of us know how dedicated Noni is to her family and to the Anglican Church in South Africa so it was an honor to meet Noni’s mother and sister during commencement, hear about the family’s long Anglican association, and share with them all the gifts that Noni has left behind at work and in her VTS community.
You can read more about Noni’s Anglican Communion journey HERE in her most recent Anglican Commentary!
Natalie Ward, Hartley Hobson Wensing, and Katherine Grieb