Date: February 11, 2026
ALEXANDRIA, Va., February 11, 2026 – Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) has conferred the Dean’s Cross for Servant Leadership on Stephen Colbert for his work as a satirist who provokes critical thinking and inspires change, and on Evelyn McGee-Colbert for her ministry and leadership in the arts. The Dean’s Cross is the highest honor the Seminary confers.
The awards were presented by the Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D., dean and president of VTS, and Dr. David Charlton, chair of the Board of Trustees of VTS, at a Solemn Evensong on Friday, February 6, 2026.
Through his work on The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and The Late Show, Stephen Colbert has used satire to expose hypocrisy and hubris in contemporary politics and social issues. While employing humor, irony, and exaggeration, he consistently challenges audiences to think critically and to act with moral clarity. A Roman Catholic, Colbert remains deeply shaped by his faith and by his baptismal covenant to respect the dignity of every human being, even as he calls out human foibles and follies.
His citation read: “Your humor and genius are seasoned with passion and compassion. Courage and humility accompany you in every monologue. The Virginia Theological Seminary honors you with the Dean’s Cross because you are a truth-telling storyteller who is living the well-formed life in Christ.”
Evelyn McGee-Colbert was honored for her lifelong commitment to the arts, her leadership as an arts advocate with Montclair Film, of which she is a founding board member, and for her ministry of love, generosity, and care for others.
Her citation read: “Your life as a film producer, actress, arts advocate, theater professional, daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend is a lasting testament to unity overcoming estrangement.”
The service was held at The General Theological Seminary in New York City where Evelyn McGee-Colbert lived in student housing for several years, and Stephen Colbert also resided for a summer. The couple were close friends of the Seminary’s then dean and president, the Very Rev. James Corner Fenhagen, who officiated at the blessing of
their marriage. His son, Jim Fenhagen, was present at the conferral of the Dean’s Cross and read the lessons during the service.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D., dean and president of VTS, said: “Stephen Colbert and Evelyn McGee-Colbert have modeled a steady and gracious Christian witness amid challenging and often unforgiving circumstances. They remind us that faithfulness is not withdrawn from public life but practiced within it, with courage, humility, and perseverance.”
Established in 2008, the Dean’s Cross recognizes outstanding leaders who embody the baptismal vows to strive for justice and peace among all people and to respect the dignity of every human being. Recipients are selected annually by the Seminary’s dean and president, in consultation with the chair of the board. They receive a certificate and a handmade silver cross, modeled on the cross that stood on the steeple of the Seminary’s 1881 Chapel.
Previous recipients of the Dean’s Cross include former First Lady Barbara Bush, poet and novelist Wendell Berry, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham.
Notes to editors:
For media inquiries, please contact Nicky Burridge, Senior Vice President for Communications and Institutional Advancement at Virginia Theological Seminary and The General Theological Seminary.
Tel: (703) 461-1782
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Photo caption: From left to right: Evelyn McGee-Colbert, Dr. David Charlton, the Very Rev. Ian Markham and Stephen Colbert.
About Virginia Theological Seminary:
Virginia Theological Seminary was founded in 1823 and has a long tradition of shaping faithful women and men, lay and ordained, for leadership in The Episcopal Church and beyond. It is the strongest seminary in the Anglican Communion and provides more than 25 percent of the clergy of The Episcopal Church.