Date: February 24, 2025
This is an exciting week to be on campus. The Center for Anglican Communion Studies is hosting more than 40 leading women from around the globe. The Women Mentoring Women Conference, at Virginia Theological Seminary from Tuesday – Friday, is a closed event to allow for greater collaboration and connection among the participants. However, our guests join us for worship, meals, and free time, so feel free to introduce yourselves and offer them a warm VTS welcome. During the final conference Eucharist on Friday at 8:15 am, the Rt. Rev. Rose Okeno will preside and the Rev. Canon Rachel Carnegie, former Executive Director of the Anglican Alliance, will preach. Also on Friday, beginning at 12:45 p.m. in the Lettie Pate Evans Room, several of the conference participants will report to our community. All are welcome at the special Eucharist and sign up here to attend the Friday forum.
The conference includes women leaders from Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania, Central America and the Caribbean, South America, the Middle East, Europe, the United Kingdom, and North America. They represent many important organizations in the Anglican world: the Mothers Union, the Anglican Communion Office, theological schools, dioceses, provinces, NGOs, hospitals and more. Conference participants will discuss the histories of women’s exclusion and their persistence in overcoming challenges, current issues of poverty, war, and threats to women’s well-being, the critical voices of young leaders, and strategies for strengthening women’s leadership in the future. The conference is funded by a generous grant from Trinity Church, Wall Street.
As a residential seminary, we know the depth of connection that results from living in community. This week of gathering women from around the Anglican Communion strengthens the bonds of the Communion, provides important opportunities for testimony to God’s work in various ministries, and cultivates connections that will last well beyond this conference. This is important work.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and President of The General Theological SeminaryÂ