Today the Boards of VTS and GTS are meeting. Yesterday, there was a rich and full plenary session, at which I was present for fifteen minutes or so, as the Board formally began the process of searching for my successor in light of my planned retirement in the summer of 2028. It was encouraging to […]
Tonight, Virginia Theological Seminary hosts the Mollegen Forum with Mariann Edgar Budde, offering a thoughtful conversation at the intersection of faith and public life. As Bishop of Washington, she serves congregations and Episcopal schools across the District of Columbia and four Maryland counties. The first woman elected to this role, she also chairs the Protestant […]
We are pleased to announce that Dr. George E. “Tink” Tinker has accepted the Seminary’s invitation to serve as our commencement speaker this May for our graduating seniors. His presence marks a significant moment for our community, and we are honored that our graduates will hear from a theologian whose voice has shaped conversations about […]
We are moving quickly toward a Board meeting, which means this is the season when our Trustees are gathering in their various committees. Over the course of this week, we have met with the Trustees Committee, the Buildings and Grounds Committee, and the Finance Committee. Each of these meetings represents a significant moment in the […]
It was a joy to gather in the Chapel yesterday – the first time we have done so this semester. Our Associate Dean for Chapel, the Rev. Dr. Shawn Strout, presided at the altar, and the Rev. Dr. Ruthanna Hooke offered a thoughtful and challenging reflection, inviting us to live less safely in this moment, […]
It was January 21, 2025 – just over a year ago – when the Bishop of Washington, the Rt. Rev. Bishop Budde, delivered her now-memorable sermon. Her words were carefully chosen. It was not offensive; it was not even “calling someone out” (especially since the administration had not yet begun its work). Rather, it gently […]
Yesterday, I decided that the focus needed to be on the extraordinary weather and the remarkable service of Facilities and Meriwether Godsey. That was exactly right. Today, however, please allow me a brief moment of personal privilege. As you all know, I am returning from medical leave. I had surgery in early December and, on […]
The Winter Spring semester has started with some wintry weather. We have been fortunate so far, but much of the country is now gripped by cold, ice, and—in some places—heavy snow. Conditions can change quickly, and even familiar paths can become hazardous when temperatures drop and ice forms overnight. It is important that we all […]
I shared these sentiments elsewhere last year and have been thinking about it a lot more recently with the rapidly increasing illiteracy rates in the U.S. alongside the rising use of Generative Artificial Intelligence over and against more “analog” ways of creating ideas, research, and study. I am convinced that a significant hinderance to our […]
I am acutely aware that this is my last academic year serving on the VTS faculty and senior administration. There are moments that feels ordinary but increasingly the ordinary is becoming significant as I log a growing list of “lasts.” In response, I am determined to be faithfully present to my students and campus life, and that commitment only becomes more urgent with the hourly news of human […]