Date: March 26, 2025
The Rev. David Gortner, PhD. is stepping down from his role as Program Principal for Thriving in Ministry and will complete his work on May 31, 2025. After transitioning from full time Faculty at VTS in 2018 to Rector of St. Luke’s in the Diocese of Spokane, David continued for seven years of building and strengthening the Thriving in Ministry program. As he looks toward a sabbatical with his wife through the summer, David sees this as a good time to step aside from Thriving in Ministry and focus even more intently on congregational and diocesan ministry. He will continue to work for the wider Church.
David has pioneered a model of sustained support and intentional learning that is at the heart of the Thriving in Ministry program. Like any field of work, ministry can drift into ruts and unquestioned routines. Effective ministry depends on an artful combination of support and focused challenge with mentors, coaches, and peers to help a leader continue to learn and grow, even in difficult times. David took this idea, created much of the training for the Thriving’s “mentor-coaches,” and has already assisted hundreds of priests to learn and refine their skills through this approach to lifelong ministry development.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of VTS in different roles for 17 years”, David said to me in a zoom call as he shared his decision. And I am grateful for his journey with us. We wish him all the best in his ongoing service to the Church. I am sure we will stay in touch because, as I tell everyone who leaves VTS, “once you are part of VTS, you are always part of VTS.”
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary