Date: October 6, 2023
The moment we mark our Historic Bicentenary will finally arrive next week. As an institution, the Historic Bicentenary has shaped our shared life for almost five years. We have been acutely aware of the significance of this moment. 1823 days out from October 15th 2023, we started the journey with a Eucharist using the liturgy of the early nineteenth century. A sermon was preached from that period. Yet there were differences: we asked the President of the AAEC, the Rev. Ginny Wilder, to preside. The past met the present in a significant way.
Next week will be full and active. We have countless guests coming to the campus for the occasion. I ask everyone to be present to our guests. We appreciate that they have made the journey to be with us; we want their experience of the Seminary to be a good one.
The spectacular weather of this week looks like it is going to break. Next week, we will have more clouds and some rain. We are looking at each event and thinking through rain options. Right to the wire, this is a complex moment.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary