Virginia Theological Seminary

We are delighted to have the Rev. Canon Natalie Arendse, of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, on campus as our latest Communion Sabbatical Visitor through the Center for Anglican Communion Studies at VTS. Come and hear her talk: "Has the Anglican Church in South Africa Lost Her Prophetic Voice?" on Tuesday, September 26. Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/has-the-anglican-church-in-south-africa-lost-her-prophetic-voice-tickets-698389992267?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Check out this lovely article by The Living Church on VTS alum the Rev. John T. W. Harmon, who was recently elected as the 14th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas! Congratulations from everyone at VTS!

https://livingchurch.org/2023/09/11/arkansas-bishop-elect-got-his-first-vestments-at-age-11/

Interested to learn about evangelism through farming? VTS alum the Rev. Harris Woart is on campus today to talk about how he taught Christian formation alongside methods on gaining high yields from palm farming in a summer project sponsored by the Episcopal Evangelism Society. Join him in Addison 211 at 12:45pm today to hear more about the project and his work with congregations in rural and semi-urban areas in the Episcopal Diocese of Liberia.

Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary's Faith-filled Families (FfF) is going for GOLD! September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month! We hold close to God's heart those courageous families who are battling the leading cause of death by disease for children ... CANCER. We look, with hope, towards a future where a cure is on the horizon. Join us in showing support for these precious families by wearing GOLD this month.

Congratulations to VTS alum The Rt. Rev. Carrie Schofield-Broadbent ’03 on her ordination and consecration as Bishop Coadjutor of Maryland. The Very Rev. Ian Markham, Ph.D., Dean and President of VTS, said: "Virginia Theological Seminary celebrates with and prays for the Bishop Coadjutor of Maryland. Bishop Schofield-Broadbent may God bless your ministry."

How lovely is our Community Garden looking?

Check out the third part of our VTS Conversations podcast! To mark our Historic Bicentenary, we have created a series of podcasts to capture our complex history. Hear Heather Zdancewicz, former Vice President for Finance and Administration, Jacqueline Ballou, Senior Vice President for Finance, Administration and Operations, and Mary Hix, former Vice President for Finance and Administration, discuss managing the administrative and financial aspects of the Seminary.

VTS Conversations — Heather & Jacqueline & Mary — V4 Part Three

Photographs from our Seminarians of Color Union (SOCU) Welcome Reception for students, faculty, and staff of color held earlier this month.

A reminder that the Immanuel Chapel Concert Series kicks off at 7:30pm tomorrow (Thursday, September 14) with an organ recital by Monica Berney, featuring the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Healey Willan, Paul Hin.
More details about this free concert can be found here: https://vts.edu/concerts/

The Immanuel Chapel Concert Series is back for the new academic year! Please join us on Thursday September 14 for an organ recital by Monica Berney. More details about this free concert can be found here: https://vts.edu/concerts/

The Center for Anglican Communion Studies at VTS recently hosted a two-day Scriptural Reasoning training for facilitators with the Rose Castle Foundation. Participants from across the three Abrahamic faith traditions thought about ways Scriptural Reasoning could be used in their interfaith and peacebuilding work. Scriptural Reasoning involves Christians, Jews, and Muslims studying each other’s sacred texts and sharing their perspectives to gain a deeper understanding of each other’s and their own scriptures. To find out more about scriptural reasoning, join one of CACS’ monthly Scriptural Reasoning events.

Check out our newly renovated Welcome Center! Although the official opening will be in December, it is now open Monday to Friday 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, and 1:00pm – 3:00 pm. Be sure to take a look at the exhibits on Saint Nicholas and a collection of crèches from around the world in the lower level.

Ahead of National Grandparents Day on Sunday, here are some ideas on how to celebrate together from Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary's Faith-filled Families initiative.

The Blessing of the Backpacks! Students young and old brought their backpacks to chapel today to be blessed for the new academic year.

Photos from our Contextual Ministry Fair! Held during August Term, the event is a chance for seminarians and site supervisors to meet each other and for students to learn about the varied placements on offer as they begin the process of finding a CXM site.

Want to be part of the Class of 2027? Our Master in Divinity application is now live! Start your application here: https://virginiatheological.mycampus-app.com/app /apply

Our incoming class on the first day of the new semester! This year, our Opening Eucharist included a Matriculation Rite for the first time, during which members of the entering class were asked to affirm their commitment to the VTS community.

That first day of a new semester feeling…
Great to have all our students back on campus!

Great weather for our Labor Day picnic!

A big thank you to everyone who helped to make August Term such a great success in welcoming the incoming class.

VTS’ Faith-filled Families initiative, part of Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary, is excited to welcome its first cohort to campus! Participants will receive an overview of the project, gain insight into the research methodologies that will be employed and be immersed in a time of fellowship whereby challenges and best practices will be highlighted. FfF is a five-year action-research project which focuses on equipping preschools and congregations to support parents in the religious formation of their children. It is funded through a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.

Thank you to Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary for hosting an event for the incoming class of students to introduce who they are and what they do. Alongside offering baked treats, Lifelong Learning offers a wealth of wonderful resources and initiatives that provide continuous opportunities for theological education for both lay and ordained leaders, and support for students long after they graduate. Check out vts.edu/lifelong-learning to learn more about their incredible team and projects!

The Immanuel Chapel Concert Series is back for the new academic year! Please join us on Thursday September 14 for an organ recital by Monica Berney. More details about this free concert can be found here: https://vts.edu/concerts/

A scavenger hunt for the younger members of the 2023 cohort!

Congratulations to Faith-filled Families at Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary for securing a $1.25 million grant for a five-year project to support parents in nurturing the spirituality of their children.

VTS awarded $1.25 million grant for Faith-filled Families initiative to help parents teach their children about faith | Virginia Theological Seminary The grant will fund a five-year project working with regional congregations that have a preschool to equip parents with the confidence and capacity to nurture the spirituality of their children.

The incoming class of 2023 visited Washington National Cathedral on Sunday.

We are delighted to have the Rev Carla Roland, PhD, from The General Theological Seminary, with us to teach Mapping Anglican Studies! Today’s in-class guest was our very own the Rev Kathy Grieb, director of VTS’ Center for Anglican Communion Studies (CACS).

And we’re back!
1823 has reopened at the new time of 5.30pm.
Please join us for great food, fellowship and fun.
Open Wednesday to Saturday 17:30 to 22:00

Save the date! We are delighted to announce that the Center for Anglican Communion Studies at VTS is hosting another season of Rumi Forum Scriptural Reasoning. The monthly series kicks off with “Non-Violent Responses to Hatred” on Thursday August 24. Scriptural Reasoning involves Christians, Jews, and Muslims studying each other’s sacred texts and sharing their perspectives to gain a deeper understanding of each other’s and their own scriptures, helping to develop strong bonds across faith communities.

Please join us in person or online for this free event!

Rumi Forum Scriptural Reasoning: "Non-Violent Responses to Hatred" Join our monthly circle to study Abrahamic scriptures! The topic of this session is "Non-Violent Responses " with the Rev. Dr. David Milam.

Can church politics ever be a spiritual practice? Faculty member the Rev Ross Kane, PhD, thinks so! Through his online course, The Good News of Church Politics, Dr Kane will show how localized action by churches can make a real difference in their neighborhoods. The course, offered through Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary, will combine scripture, political theology, and personal experience to reframe politics around shaping our common life. From community service to advocacy, Dr Kane will show how congregations can practice politics in ways that embrace our loving interdependence as members of the body of Christ. By loving our neighbors, our congregations can model God’s reign in our world.
Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-good-news-of-church-politics-tickets-680358670097?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwAR0fkka9N4Eg24DYM8Rhvu7dAXI25cYh7jfw_2Qk7sK_5ZQVYAkdiqYDi1w

Just when you think VTS’ campus couldn’t be any more lovely, this!

August Term 2023 started today with Morning Prayer. Welcome to all our new students! Please keep them in your prayers as they begin their seminary journey.

Looking for some summer reading? Why not check out Let the Children Lead: Exploring Children’s Spirituality Today, edited by our very own Elizabeth DeGaynor. Coming out of a symposium hosted by VTS, it is not only essential reading for anyone engaged in ministry with children, but also the third best-selling book ever published by VTS Press!
Get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Let-Children-Lead-Exploring-Spirituality/dp/B0C1J3HP2Y/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1W2HOCJONF1FV&keywords=let+the+children+lead&qid=1689704176&s=books&sprefix=let+the+children+lea%2Cstripbooks%2C159&sr=1-1

This week marks the 49th anniversary of the Ordination of the Philadelphia Eleven – the first women to be ordained as priests in The Episcopal Church. We are proud that two of these women are VTS alumni: Allison Cheek ’69 and Nancy Hatch Wittig ’72. Thank you to Virginia Theological Seminary Archives for the pictures!

1823 is taking a pause over the summer. It will be closed from Sunday August 6, reopening on Wednesday August 16, at the new opening time of 5:30 p.m. We look forward to seeing you then!

Move-in Day 2023! We couldn’t be happier to welcome the first of our new cohort to campus on Saturday. They had a dramatic introduction to life at VTS when the blue skies gave way to a severe storm and extended power outages. Welcome to the VTS family!

One of the many wonderful things about VTS is the Center for Anglican Communion Studies at VTS (CACS), which, as part of its great work supporting the international community of Anglicans and Episcopalians, brings visitors from around the world to campus. This week we were delighted to welcome a group from St. Philip’s Parish, Nablus in the West Bank! Thank you to Grace Presbyterian and St. Christopher’s Episcopal in Springfield, VA, for including VTS in their hospitality for this special group.

From the African American Episcopal Historical Collection (AAEHC) housed at VTS:
Ever since becoming an Episcopalian, John E. Harris, Jr. has been active at various levels of the Church. In the Diocese of Southern Ohio in the 1960s, he was heavily involved in the Institutional Racism Project. In the early 1970s, Mr. Harris became a member of the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE), joining the board in 1984 and eventually serving as treasurer of the organization for 20 years. In 2010, he was elected to the UBE presidency. Mr Harris also served The Episcopal Church as a member of the Board of Directors of the Episcopal Church Foundation, the faculty of CREDO, and a participant in the Lay Employees' Pension Feasibility Study Group. The is proud to hold the papers produced during the tenure of Mr. Harris while in his role as Treasurer of the Union of Black Episcopalians.

VTS is honored to have received the Union of Black Episcopalians’ Shining Star Award for steadfast support of the Union and enduring partnership in combatting racism in the Church and beyond.
Here's Dean Ian Markham with alums (L-R) Corey Smith ’22, the Rev. Melanie Mullen ’12, the Rev. Kathy Walker ’18, and the Rev. Valerie Mayo ’19, after receiving the award at UBE’s 55th Annual Business Meeting and Conference in Montgomery, Alabama!

We can't help but reflect on the incredible journey we've had at Virginia Theological Seminary over this last year. One of the highlights was the Embracing Inclusivity weekend hosted by VTS in collaboration with SOCU (Students of Color Union) and the Multicultural Advisory Committee. The Very Rev. Kim Coleman, The Rev. Yoimel Gonzalez, The Rev. Cornelia Eaton, and The Rev. Oscar Rozó were among the special guests who joined VTS alumni, faculty, students, and church leaders to explore how VTS is shaping new leaders for our diverse church. Take a look at some highlights of this event!