Date: September 29, 2022
After an amazing capital campaign, it is important to follow the campaign with a gratitude tour. There is a very practical reason why such a tour is needed: pledge redemption requires connection. It is easy for a five year pledge to become a problem after three years: so, we need to remind our friends that we are counting on their pledge coming in. There is also a more important reason: the Seminary wants to include our friends in our Historic Bicentenary. It isn’t possible for everyone to come to the Seminary to see the play Dust or some other event; so, the Seminary needs to go to our friends to connect with them.
We are calling this tour “Marking the Moment”. Last night we were in Winston Salem, NC. There was a musical video giving our friends a sense of the changing character of the campus after all the renovations. There was a short talk about our reparations program and the obligation to tell the complete story of the Seminary. And, perhaps most importantly, there was a short liturgy where we pray and remember the journey of this place.
I am grateful to all those who work so hard to make these events a success. Ms. Victoria Elie, the Administrative Coordinator for the Historic Bicentenary, does the hard work of sending out invitations, booking hotels, organizing catering, and making travel plans. This is hard work when done from a distance. So, today, please join me in thanking Victoria for everything she does to make these events a success.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President