Date: May 3, 2022
Since 1862, the Episcopal Evangelism Society (EES) has supported Episcopal seminarians financially in their formation to serve Christ’s church. Like most Episcopal institutions, the EES mission has evolved, even pivoted, over the years. Today they award grants to seminarians, faculty, staff, and spouses and partners to implement ministry projects that will help develop the evangelism dimension of their vocation. In the contemporary context of decolonizing evangelism, EES dreams of an Episcopal church that looks and acts like Jesus.
Of course, VTS has a rich history with EES. Both dynamic leadership and stellar grant work have come from the VTS community. Today, Dr. Lisa Kimball serves on the EES Board of Directors. Current grantees include the Rev. Joe Hubbard ’21, Ashley Dobbs Hubbard ’23, Jorin Hood, Mtippe Koggani ’24 and Marybeth Sanders-Wilson ’23. Ms. Day Smith Pritchartt ‘99 serves as the Executive Director.
We welcome the EES board to campus for their semi-annual meeting – and first in-person meeting since 2019! – this week, Tuesday through Thursday. They will be in Chapel and the Coffield Refectory on Wednesday. I encourage you to introduce yourself to them. They are especially interested in hearing what excites you and challenges you in terms of Episcopal evangelism.
Executive Director Pritchartt and Multi-Cultural Missioner Dr. Luisa Bonillas welcome your inquiries about grant proposals at any time. You may read more about EES grants here and watch a short video here. EES is committed to individual coaching for grant applicants, and Day and Luisa encourage you to pitch your idea to either of them at any stage of its development. Application deadlines are in September and in February each year.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President