Date: October 6, 2026
From October 5–8, Virginia Theological Seminary welcomes women bishops from across the Anglican Communion for Shepherding Together. Hosted by the Center for Anglican Communion Studies with funding from Trinity Church Wall Street, the conference builds on the Women Mentoring Women Conference held at VTS in 2025.
This gathering was inspired by Abp. Marinez Bassotto of the Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil and Ms. Christina Winnischofer, Provincial Secretary. In search of a place for women bishops to gather, reflect and recharge, they thought first of VTS and we were honored to join them in their planning.
The gathering offers space for bishops serving in different contexts to learn from one another as they reflect on the shared work of shepherding God’s people. While the sessions are closed, readers will be interested to learn that among the conference sessions will be one on Family Systems Theory, led by the Rev. Dr. Allison St Louis, former VTS professor, now the director of the Center for Healing and Hope. The Rev. Canon Dr. Helen van Koevering, Episcopal Diocese of Lexington, and chair of the International Anglican Women’s Network will provide translation support for the Brazilian bishops.
As a residential seminary, we know how much can grow from time spent together. We are glad to welcome these bishops to VTS and to support the relationships that strengthen our Communion.
This year’s participants are:
- The Most Reverend Marinez Rosa dos Santos Bassotto, Primate of the Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil
- The Right Reverend Dr. Dalcy Badeli Dlamini, Bishop of Eswatini, Anglican Church of Southern Africa
- The Most Reverend Sally Sue Hernández García, Primate of the Anglican Church of Mexico
- The Right Reverend Rose N. A. Okeno, Bishop of Butere, Anglican Church of Kenya
- The Right Reverend Dr. Emily Awino Onyango, Assistant Bishop of Bondo, Anglican Church of Kenya
- The Right Reverend Magda Cristina Guedes Pereira, Bishop of Paraná, Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil
- The Right Reverend Meriglei Borges Silva Simim, Bishop of Pelotas, Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil
- The Right Reverend Susan Wallace, Bishop of Te Hui Amorangi ki Te Waipounamu, the Māori Anglican Diocese in the South Island of Aotearoa, New Zealand
- Ms. Christina Winnischofer, Provincial Secretary, Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and President of The General Theological Seminary