What a popular saying, an offer of service, this has become. I often questioned whether it is a genuine offer, or is it something said out of obligation, as a tag line, or even a requirement for one’s employment. “Happy to Help” is meaningless without action. For this reason, I want to give a “shout […]
Last Friday, we celebrated the recently federally recognized holiday of Juneteenth. And, this year, more than ever, I found myself thinking a lot about memory; how it is carried, preserved, and passed down across generations. June 19, 1865, was the day when news of emancipation finally reached enslaved people in Galveston, Texas— more than two […]
In just a few months, the Reparations Program will mark seven years of work. While there is still much to be done, this milestone offers an opportunity to reflect on how much has already been accomplished. A significant part of that progress is due to the extraordinary contributions of our lead researcher, Maddy McCoy. Maddy […]
Ever since Bishop Payne Library began preserving, curating, and exhibiting the thousands of rare books that it moved from General Theological Seminary to VTS in 2024, the collection has attracted many visitors, such as representatives from the Grolier Club, the Library of Congress, and the Folger Shakespeare Library. The results of these visits are conversations […]
Since the discovery of an early typeset draft of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail in early March, the priorities of the archives staff have shifted to researching the origins and provenance of the document now in our possession. Nick, our intern, continued working on Bishop John and Esther Burgess’ papers, which […]
Ministry at a seminary takes on many forms, including some that may not be immediately visible. The library is one such place where ministry is practiced daily. At the Bishop Payne Library, I have come to understand librarianship as a form of ministry rooted in hospitality, service, and education. Each day begins before students, faculty, […]
This September marks my eight-year anniversary of working in libraries. I started my career in libraries in 2018 at a tiny, rural library in St. Clair County, AL, as a Library Clerk. I loved that job. While giving directions to the bathroom, instructing people on how to use the printer, and counting down the cash […]
This summer, we will welcome approximately forty students for the three-week doctoral residency that combines intensive coursework, worship, and fellowship. Additional doctoral students have already completed their summer residencies and are writing their doctoral theses at home. Special congratulations to the eleven doctoral students who completed their degrees and graduated last month! Our doctoral students are remarkable people. All of them […]
As we anticipate welcoming students to campus on June 15, there are so many people and programs that make the doctoral residency possible. Faculty teach and mentor students, including full-time faculty and our dedicated doctoral Senior Lecturers. Many offices across VTS contribute to the residency as well. AASL, IA, and the Dean’s Office have all […]
During the doctoral summer intensive which starts on June 15, we will have worship Monday through Friday at noon in the Immanuel Chapel. An opening Eucharist begins our time together on June 15. This year, we will also mark the midpoint of our time together on Wednesday, June 24, the Feast of St. John the Baptist. Our closing Eucharist completes the summer residency on July 3. […]