Yesterday I viewed the recording. It is outstanding. The music is really good; even with all the musicians behind masks and physically distanced. The acoustics of our chapel work so well for singing, even in these conditions. It is lovely to see the class of 2020 given due prominence. The D.Min. recipients are all recognized; […]
For fifteen years Monina Pangan has been a member of the Institutional Advancement team, providing administrative support for daily departmental operations and for major events such as Convocation and the VTS dinner at General Convention. Anyone who contacts Monina by phone or email knows that they will receive a quick response and the assistance they […]
Please join me in celebrating the Service of Light with awarding of the Dean’s Cross and honorary degrees this Sunday, December 6, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. The Dean’s Cross is the highest award that the Seminary can confer. Past recipients of this award include Barbara Bush, Madeline Albright, and Wendell Berry. This year the Dean’s […]
Virginia Theological Seminary is blessed to have a remarkable Board of Trustees. One of these remarkable Board members is William G. Thomas, III. His new book A Question of Freedom: The Families Who Challenged Slavery From the Nation’s Founding to the Civil War is a triumph. Dr. Thomas traces “the stories of several enslaved families in Maryland’s Prince George’s County through the generations.” […]
As part of our safety protocols, determined long before the Fall semester started, we will find the campus a little quieter today. The Refectory has closed until February. All lectures are now online. Chapel is back to Zoom. The residence halls are largely empty. Dr. Fauci has warned that with the movement of people over […]
Today the Seminary closes early, at 2:00 p.m. It is a small gesture of gratitude to our employees as they prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving. We want them to have a little extra time to make their way to their destinations for this delightful holiday. Living life with a sense of gratitude is a basic Christian […]
We recognize that the closure of the Residence Halls during this season has been a challenge for our students. Finding somewhere to land for over two months (especially when there are still two weeks of the semester left) is hard. Normally our dormitory housing is offered with a nine-month contract, and students know ahead of […]
This morning we returned to Zoom chapel. This is wise. We shared the news with the community that two of our employees have tested positive for COVID. We remember them both in our prayers; and we anticipate and look forward to their rapid recovery. Thanksgiving and a quarantine are a complicated combo. A number of […]
Yesterday at 1 p.m., the Dean’s Table gathered. Chaired by Student Body President Dillon Green, it was another well-run meeting. The Student Government Officers go first. Each one is invited to report on any issues that they wish to share with the administration. Questions are asked; vice presidents provide responses. It is an important vehicle […]
Institutions are very precious. If any idea is going to persist into the future, then it needs an institution to keep it going. For this purpose, institutions can be many things – football teams, colleges, societies, and, of course, congregations. When you walk around Athens, you find plenty of literal ruins of institutions that did […]