Date: March 20, 2026
The final quarter of the academic year always carries a particular energy on the Holy Hill. It is the run toward Commencement and the summer break, a season when the pace quickens and the community becomes aware that the academic journey is nearing an important milestone. Seniors are preparing for placement in July, while many Juniors and Middlers are arranging Clinical Pastoral Education for the months ahead.
This is also a reflective season for the community. We know that some will soon leave us to begin the next chapter of their ministry, and the campus will feel different when new students arrive in the fall. The rhythms of seminary life remind us that each year brings both endings and beginnings.
As we move through this final quarter, I want especially to recognize my dear friend and colleague in ministry, Dr. Lisa Kimball, who will be working through this semester and into July before entering retirement. Lisa is an extraordinary person of faith who consistently seeks simply to do what is best for the community. Let us make this final quarter together the very best season of her time among us.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary.Â