Building capacities for justice
The mission of Virginia Theological Seminary is to form and educate leaders who proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and help others participate in God’s mission throughout the world. A vital part of this mission is building the capacity of baptized Christians to strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being.
The Saint Nicholas Center for Faith and Justice forms and educates Christian leaders in this work of justice in three ways:
- We build student capacities for justice work through fellowships, trainings, and formation beyond the classroom;
- We encourage a thematic focus on justice through courses and curricular programs in the classroom;
- We collaborate with community partners like Virginians Organized for Interfaith and Community Engagement (VOICE) and Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy to advocate for justice in our city, our state, and our nation.
Empowering witness
Located within the DC Metro Area, Virginia Theological Seminary students have ready access to regional, national, and international organizations and movements. The Center hosts Faith and Justice Lunches with local activists, organizers, and faith leaders to introduce students to the many vocations that call people to this work.
The Center also supports student involvement in justice activities beyond the classroom by disbursing mini grants. These grants support seminarians as they seek formation through the experience of leadership and advocacy. Current students can apply to the Saint Nicholas Center for Faith and Justice mini grant through the online student hub (Blackbaud).
Forming for change
The Center supports student formation in the classroom through offerings across the curriculum. Students have the option of taking the Justice Praxis Seminar, a weeklong intensive immersion in the work of organizing, advocacy, and policy craft.
Partnering for collaboration
The Center partners with community organizations to support justice efforts in our city and region. Virginia Theological Seminary is a member organization of Virginians Organized for Interfaith and Community Engagement (VOICE) a broad-based community organization in Northern Virginia. Through VOICE we support efforts for affordable housing and behavioral health support. We also partner with the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP) and participate annually in their lobby day during the Virginia General Assembly every January.
Why Saint Nicholas?
Next to Mary and the apostles, Saint Nicholas is the world’s most recognized saint. The fourth century Bishop of Myra is remembered most for his generosity, but he also was a fierce advocate for justice and defender of truth. Nicholas connects the Center to the great cloud of witnesses who have struggled for justice: from the Hebrew prophets, to the early Christian martyrs, to modern saints like Jonathan Myrick Daniels, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Archbishop Oscar Romero, and Vida Dutton Scudder.
The Saint Nicholas Center for Faith and Justice launched in 2025 thanks to the generous gift of David and Carol Myers Foundation. The Center builds on Virginia Theological Seminary’s longstanding institutional commitment to justice.
Meet the Director
Dr. Kyle Lambelet joined the faculty of Virginia Theological Seminary in 2024 and launched the Saint Nicholas Center for Faith and Justice in 2025. He brings to this role long experience in faith based social change work and a passion for research and teaching that bridges the church, the academy, and movements for justice.
Saint Nicholas Fellows
Students have the opportunity to work at the Center as fellows. In these roles, student leaders learn the skills of organizing by connecting VTS students to our community partners, leading Center programming, and serving as models for student justice engagement. Current students interested in these positions can find more details on the online student hub (Blackbaud).
Gabriel (Gabe) Oakes is an MDiv student expecting to graduate in 2026. They are a candidate in the Diocese of Olympia, and serve at VTS as the president of the Justice and Reconciliation Society. Before seminary, Gabe worked at a food pantry and community center in St. Louis through the Episcopal Service Corps, and studied theology at Seattle University. They are excited to mobilize the VTS community to live out its faith in action, and to materially engage with the liberative and redemptive work that Christ is doing all around us!
Victoria (Torie) Linner is an MDiv student in the class of 2027. She hails from the Diocese of Chicago and hopes to become a board-certified chaplain. Before coming to VTS, she was a youth minister at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, where she educated middle and high school students on racial justice. She is excited about connecting with students about the skills and possibilities of community organizing, and other ways of working towards justice for all.