Date: July 22, 2025
Between chapel, class, and lunch, I have come to see how formation doesn’t just happen in lectures or liturgy, but in the ordinary, unscripted moments in between. There is the collaboration among chapel worship teams, the sharing of heart and mind over a London Fog in the Flamingo, and the laughs and snacks over a TV show in the common room of Mission Hall. As vice president of the student body, I have the honor of living in the heartbeat of our community – supporting student life, helping coordinate events, and walking alongside peers through both celebration and challenge. In these diverse experiences seminary can be a nurturing seedbed that shapes more than our theology and leadership. In a very special way, and most importantly, it forms who we are in relationship to one another.
During my short time in this community, I have borne witness to the quiet charism that sustains our common life. Whether advocating for each other’s needs, lending a hand with assignments, or helping navigate moments of tension or transition, there is a generosity, a grace, and a resilience that undergirds this place. Our student body carries a remarkable strength: we show up for each other. We laugh together, grieve together, worship together. And it’s in that togetherness that real formation unfolds.
As we look toward a new academic year, my prayer is that we all remain open. Open to one another. Open to the rhythms of community life, to the work of theological study, and to the quiet, faithful work of the Holy Spirit who meets us, again and again, in the ordinary and in the complex. Holy Hill is fertile ground for grace – for deep questions, honest conversations, necessary stretching, surprising friendships, and sacred disruptions. May we walk into the days ahead as faithful companions in one another’s journey.
James Wesley Holcomb III
Student Body Vice President