Date: January 17, 2025
A busy weekend looms. There is the book launch of my co-written book, with Anne Searle Bent, called Art and the Experience of the Divine. There is some friend-making as we seek to promote the VTS pilgrimages and invite others to learn about the Seminary through a journey to thin spaces around the world. And I have the privilege of preaching at the Church of the Holy Spirit.
The Rev. Luke Back is the Rector. He is an alumnus and a good friend of the Seminary. He believes in enriching the life of his congregation but building bridges with his Seminary. He is a thoughtful leader, a gentle pastor, and a dynamic preacher.
Ministry is difficult in these secular, polarized, post-Covid times. Luke does ministry well. It is a joy to be with him.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary