Date: September 12, 2024
From time to time, friends, donors, and board members thank me for the way I handle the various challenges that are part of my responsibilities at this time. I am touched by the care such gratitude shows. But as I reflect on my role, I tend to the view that the really challenging jobs are not so much facing those who run Virginia Theological Seminary but those who keep the place operational at the most basic level. This is the space where there are countless voices one must heed; this is the space where one cannot simply “decide” to find a different route through a problem; this is the space where budget is a constant factor; and this is the space where people tend to express their dissatisfaction in, often, a brutal way.
So today I want to thank everyone who has a “challenging” job. My task is to try and make your life as easy as possible – to delegate appropriate authority, to support you with sufficient budget to do your job, and to protect you when dissatisfaction is expressed inappropriately. Do tell me if I am not doing my job sufficiently well. Do remember, please, that VTS is strong because of you. Thank you for everything you do.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary