On Tuesday 17 February at 2:00 p.m. (i.e. tomorrow), in the Lettie Pate, we will host a screening of Familiar Touch in partnership with Goodwin Living. I warmly encourage our students, faculty, and staff to attend. Aging will come to all of us, and even now many of us are accompanying parents, parishioners, friends, or […]
It is my practice to share with the community, through the commentary, the decisions emerging from last week’s Board meeting. This time is perhaps the strangest moment in my deanship. The Board is starting the search for my successor. I will retire at the end of June 2028. My successor is likely to be appointed […]
Today and tomorrow, Six Half Dozen will be filming the Rev. Dr. Barney Hawkins and me. We will begin in the Chapel, where together we will discuss the building of the chapel—how the architect was chosen, the significance of the windows, and the importance of the pew in the oratory. We will then move to […]
It was a tricky moment. Senior Vice President Knowles and Senior Vice President Burridge were both working in their offices. The alarm went off, preceded by a loud rumbling. Fire trucks arrived quickly. It was early evening on Monday. I was notified and called the Director of Facilities, Mr. John Erbe, asking him to come […]
Tonight offers a truly joyful celebration in song and spirit. We gather at 7:00 p.m. in Immanuel Chapel for Hymn Sing: Celebrating The Hymnal 1982, marking forty years since this remarkable book helped shape the voice of our worship. The Hymnal 1982 is far more than a collection of hymns—it represents a movement of renewal, […]
On Friday evening at The General Theological Seminary, we had the joy of conferring the Dean’s Cross on two remarkable recipients: Stephen Colbert and Evelyn McGee Colbert. The Dean’s Cross honors the well-formed life. It reflects our conviction that theological education is not only about intellectual excellence, but also about formation – shaping lives marked […]
We are deeply grateful to everyone who took part in The Politics of Mercy, whether in person or from across the globe. With more than 200 participants gathered on campus at Virginia Theological Seminary and nearly 1,000 viewers engaging online to date, this evening stands as one of the most successful events we have hosted […]
It was a joy to welcome Dr. Gary Chartier to the Deanery last evening. A true polymath, Dr. Chartier is trained as a philosophical theologian with a Cambridge PhD, holds a JD in law, and serves as a senior administrator in the School of Business at La Sierra University. His scholarship ranges widely across disciplines. […]
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 […]