Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
The November 9th meeting of Virginia Seminarys Board of Trustees will have ramifications for the Seminary for years to come. The day before the board meeting, the trustees gathered for their customary committee meetings followed by a tour of new and renovated spaces on campus. This tour was especially important because it aptly demonstrated that decisions at the Seminary are taken thoughtfully and with considerable analysis. The installation of a new heating and cooling system, for example, was a journey of deliberation that started over eight years ago. When it became clear that potentially dire consequences (like no air-conditioning in August!) might arise unless the system was attended to urgently, we realized that a decision was required. On Wednesday morning, the trustees began at 8:00 a.m. for a full and hectic board meeting. First up was governance. The trustees decided to move from a representative board to a board of Trustees at Large. In addition, there was a sense that the Board needed to be smaller, more nimble and national. As one expects from the Seminary, this change will be implemented gradually. This is, however, a major transformation of governance. The next substantial item was the report from Buildings and Grounds. With representatives from Robert A. M. Stern Architects, Michael Vergason Landscape Architects LTD, and Advanced Project Management present, the board listened to the presentation. The designs for the new chapel are compelling and beautiful; the proposed modest entrance to the Welcome Center will be just right. Moving the entrance on Seminary Road to the west, away from the brow of the hill, is long overdue. After appropriate conversation, these resolutions were approved. Can we afford all this work? This was the next item on the agenda. How is the quiet phase of the Chapel for the Ages capital campaign progressing? The Board then heard that we still have some way to go but progress to date is very encouraging. Sometimes there are meetings when we sense the Holy Spirit doing important work. This was one such meeting for me. Naturally there were disagreements; everyone understood the enormity of the decisions being taken; and there remains some nervousness as to how things will unfold. The work of the Board is to ensure that the Seminary can continue in the future to form leaders for the Episcopal Church. These decisions will ensure that the Seminary can continue to fulfill its mission. Thanks be to God!
ome meetings in life are more significant than others. In this issue of News from the Hill, I want to share with you the details of a meeting that I consider historic.
Campus Shots
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Mrs. Auguste J. Bannard (2016) Mr. David Booth Beers (2015) Mr. Julian M. Bivins, Jr. (2012) The Rev. Catherine M. Campbell (2014) Dr. David H. Charlton (2016) The Rev. Canon Thomas G. Clarke (2012) The Rev. Dr. Harold J. Cobb, Jr. (2013) The Rev. Carlotta A. Cochran (2014) Dr. Lynwood D. I. Day (2013) Mr. W. Carter Doswell (2013) Mr. A. Hugh Ewing III (2013) The Rev. C. Neal Goldsborough (2015) Mrs. Martha W. High (2014) The Rt. Rev. Herman Hollerith IV The Rev. Angela S. Ifill (2016) Ms. Elizabeth Cabell Jennings (2014) The Rev. Allan B. Johnson-Taylor (2014) The Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston The Rev. R. Kevin Kelly (2013) The Rt. Rev. William (Mike) Michie Klusmeyer The Rev. Thomas M. Kryder-Reid (2012) Mr. James R. Lowe, Jr. (2013) The Rev. Dr. Andrew J. MacBeth (2012) Mr. M. Lee Marston (2014) Ms. Sissy Poland (2012) The Rt. Rev. F. Neff Powell The Rev. Dr. Stanley W. Sawyer (2014)
The Rev. Dr. William R. Shiflet, Jr. (2013) The Rt. Rev. Eugene T. Sutton Dr. William G. Thomas III (2015) The Rev. Christine R. Whittaker (2013) The Rev. Dr. J. Douglas Wigner, Jr. (2014)
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
Ms. Louise Day Dodson The Rev. Rebecca Edwards
Celebrating 50 Years: Top, at the 2011 Convocation, the Rev. Peter M. Horn (center), the Rev. David Johnston, and other members of the Class of 1961, celebrate their 50th reunion. Bottom, even a freak October snow storm couldnt keep seniors, Lara Shine and Laura Cochran, from heading to the annual Luther Bowl in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
FACULTY REPRESENTATIVES
The Rev. A. Katherine Grieb, Ph.D. The Rev. William B. Roberts, Ph.D.
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE
Ms. Virginia C. Wilder (12) Student Body President
News from the Hill is published three times per year (March, June, and December) for alumni and friends by the Office of Public Affairs, Virginia Theological Seminary, 3737 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA 22304. Editorial comments should be directed to editor@vts.edu.
On the Cover: Renowned architect, Robert A.M. Stern, creates an ink rendering of the Seminarys new chapel. Photo courtesy of Robert A.M. Stern Architects.
the presence of the other in our common life together. This is one of the most important lessons in formation that residential seminary life offers. If this lesson is caught we will carry blessings into our congregations and the world. If it is disregarded and set aside we are the losers. Passing through the Seminary community is not enough; the Seminary community must pass through us. The reading and study we embarked on at VTS centered on a theological response to the UN doctrine of Responsibility to Protect (R2P). While there are serious obstacles to its implementation, the heart of this UN doctrine is compatible with the vision of the Gospel and most world religions. It is to create a more safe, just and reconciled world community. For disciples of Christ this desired world order is only possible through interactive community in God. We learn about ourselves and become in the life giving presence of God in Christ and each other; and when this happens we are set free from ourselves to cooperate with Christ and bring dignity and peace to all creation and joy to the heart of God. In Sri Lankan culture we never say good bye when we part. It always is, we will go and come again. This going and coming is what community life is all about; we belong and nothing separates us because separation severs us from the potential of self understanding and growth and to separate is to die. When Jesus taught that anger is as bad as murder, He could well have implied a double death when we disrupt or disregard community life. So, thank you for being our Gurus. We will go and come again; and so must you. - Bishop Duleep De Chickera & Geetha
few days ago I attended a Consultation convened by the World Council of Churches. It had an interesting theme; Christian self understanding in the context of Hinduism. There had previously been similar Consultations on self understanding in the context of Judaism, Islam and Buddhism. The purpose of these gatherings, was to discern how living in Community with persons of our Sister Faiths reveal who we are as Christians and also challenge us to become the persons and Church we ought to become. This theme and exercise may sound novel but it is not. It is a method that Jesus used. On one occasion He challenged His disciples to understand true greatness in the context of a little child for whom greatness as importance mattered little. On another, in the context of a poor woman, He taught that true giving is not measured by how much is given, but by how much is withheld. One of His most dynamic teachings on the self understanding of
discipleship was in the context of the despised Samaritan. Using the imaginary example of the Samaritan, He taught that discipleship required us to cross boundaries of ethnicity and imagined superiority and demonstrate love for our neighbor if we really want to please God. Today this parable extends in its scope to challenge us to cross boundaries of caste, class, gender, color, sexual orientation and the whole of Gods created world. The Gospels are packed with instances of how effectively Jesus used this methodology to create self understanding on discipleship and we benefit immensely when we read them from this perspective. Geetha and I spent a very fulfilling sabbatical of six weeks with the VTS community. Our self understanding as disciples of Christ was challenged and enriched by the several interactions we had with you all and we leave VTS the more enlightened. This, after all, is what community life is all about; opening ones self to the influence of Christ and growth in Christ through
groups of seven or eight and work in a variety of communities and ministries to help transform the lives of others as well as their own. The students pitched tents in the Grove where they prayed and prepared for their big journey.
VTS Students Raise Funds, Awareness for Homeless During Campus Walkathon
On November 5, over 80 students, faculty, and staff members at Virginia Theological Seminary gathered for the Seminarys first ever campus walkathon to raise money for ALIVE! House in Alexandria, a shelter for women and families. The walk, organized by students, Andrew Terry (Diocese of Virginia), Brenda Sol (Diocese of Olympia) and Amber Carswell (Diocese of Arkansas) of the Social Concerns Committee, was one of many taking place in the DC Metro Area as part of the larger Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Help the Homeless Walk. Fannie Mae promised a grant of $15,000 to ALIVE! House if 850 people in the DC area walked to support the organization. The VTS walk raised $2,730 toward ALIVE!s goal.
Katherine L. Wood Is New Head of the Center for Anglican Communion Studies
In September, VTS welcomed Katherine L. Wood as the new Associate Director for the Center for Anglican Communion Studies and Interreligious Affairs. Wood has more than two decades of leadership experience in international relations, public affairs and educational settings. For 11 years she developed academic and profes-
Above, clockwise from upper left corner: The Rev. Lauren Winner, this years Sprigg Lecturer; Bishops David Jones and Mark Dyer listen intently to Ms. Winners presentation; AAEC President, Day Dodson (99), who preached during the evening Eucharist serice; the Rev. Patrick Crerar (08); the Rev. Charles Shike (51) and his wife, Seetha; Francis Cox (81), her husband, Edwin, and the Rt. Rev. Bud Shand in the technology workshop; the Rev. Benjamin Speare-Hardy II (90); the Rev. Lucia Lloyd (05), seated; the Revs. Melodie Shobe (06), Allison Sandlin Liles (06) with her daughter, Pailet, and the Rev. Sarah Kinney Gaventa (05) with her son, Charlie.
Sprigg Lectures
Above, clockwise from upper left corner: Members of the Class of 1961, celebrating their 50th reunion; the Rev. Ed Martin (71) shares a laugh with Nan Hanway; the Rev. Dan Eckman, Jr. (72) at the Class Stewards meeting; the Revs. Kwabena Owusu Afriyie and Julius Jackson (both 88) at a workshop on biblical storytelling; the Rt. Rev. James J. Shand, bishop of Easton and VTS Chairman of the Board of Trustees, confers an honorary degree upon the Rt. Rev. Herman Hollerith, IV, bishop of the Diocese of Southern Virginia; Diarmaid MacCulloch; and Dr. Ysaye M. Barnwell, member of Sweet Honey in the Rock, who also received an honorary degree. News from the Hill www.vts.edu
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FACULTY | NEWS:
Dr. Judy Fentress-Williams is Promoted
ollowing a unanimous vote by the Seminarys Academic Affairs Committee and the Board of Trustees, Judy Fentress-Williams, Ph.D. was promoted to the position of full Professor. The process is demanding and careful, said Dean Markham. By sheer hard work and exceptional ability, she has earned this recognition. In 1999, Fentress-Williams earned her Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible from Yale University. She received her M.Div. from Yale Divinity School in 1990 and her A.B. in English from Princeton University with certificates in AfricanAmerican Studies and American Studies in 1984. Prior to her appointment at Virginia Seminary in 2002, Fentress-Williams was a member of the faculty of Hartford Seminary as Professor of Hebrew Bible. The author of an upcoming book on Ruth, Fentress-Williams has published essays including, The Bible in Dialogue in September 11: Religious Perspectives on the Causes and Consequence, Location, Location, Location: Tamar in the Joseph Cycle, in Bakhtin and Genre, and Exodus in Biblia Africana.
n October 5 of this year, at the annual Academic Convocation, honorary doctorates were conferred upon four distinguished recipients. The Doctor in Divinity, honoris causa degree was awarded to the Rt. Rev. Herman Hollerith, IV, bishop of the Diocese of Southern Virginia, and Mr. Diarmaid Ninian John MacCulloch, professor of the History of the Church at the University of Oxford and Fellow of St. Cross College, Oxford. The Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, was awarded to Dr. Ysaye M. Barnwell, member of the legendary womens vocal group Sweet Honey in the Rock, and Mr. Sidney Buford Scott, community activist and chairman of Scott & Stringfellow, LLC. Ysaye M. Barnwells training as a Sign Language Interpreter led her to facilitate Sweet Honey in the Rocks practice of making concerts accessible to the deaf through American Sign Language interpretation. Prior to becoming Bishop of Southern Virginia, the Rt. Rev. Herman (Holly) Hollerith IV served as Rector of Bruton Parish, Williamsburg, Virginia and Rector of Prince George Winyah, Georgetown, South Carolina. Diarmaid Ninian John MacCulloch was ordained deacon in the Church of England in 1987. In 1996, he was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Thomas Cranmer: A Life. A History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years, published in September 2009 with a related 6-part television series called A History of Christianity which first aired on BBC 4 in 2009, and BBC 2 and BBC 4 in 2010. Sidney Buford Scott recently celebrated his 49th anniversary with Scott & Stringfellow and continues to serve as Chairman of the firms Board of Directors. A community activist in his city of Richmond, Virginia, Scott helped found the Micah Association, a mentoring program that now actively partners 1300 persons in 105 faith communities to work with at-risk children in elementary schools. q
Above: Sidney Buford Scott receives an honorary degree from VTS Board Chairman, Bishop Shand.
Student News
appy Advent. I pray that this season finds you watching and waiting, longing and anticipating. These words describe our mindset during this time of reflection. These words can also be used to describe the mental state of the class of 2012. We have entered into a time of reflection, of waiting and of longing. The job search has begun. As a class we gathered together in October to talk about competition and community. We discussed the OTM Portfolio, how to dress for an interview, how to write a resume and how to prepare for an interview. Although these items are important and valuable, we continued with our discussion to address community norms. More specifically, how will be support one another as we search for a job? Two items came out of this discussion that really helped to focus our prayers, our discernment and our approach to this rite of passage. The first insight: Pray for the church that is looking for you. They may be grieving the loss of a beloved staff member. They may be realizing that the current situation does not meet their needs. Pray for them during this
time of discernment. Pray for them and pray for you and your family. In addition to the action of prayer a second train of thought came up during our workshop. No one else is going to get your call. This is not about my job or your job or her job or his job. This is about Gods call in our lives. No one else but you can answer Gods call for you. We must tune our hearts and our minds to listen to and for God. We must be ready for God to call us in a direction we didnt anticipate or to a place we would never consider on our own. This is true for the class of 2012 but I would say this is true of all people seeking and serving Christ. Saying yes to God will more than likely lead us to a place of discomfort, newness and unfamiliarity but saying yes to God will also change our lives in ways we could never imagine. In the spirit of Advent I pray that today finds you watching and waiting, longing and anticipating the mystery and miracle of Jesus Christ. May your heart be a manger for his love. q Virginia Wilder, 12 Diocese of Western North Carolina
Friars on the Move: Whether our Friars are playing Frisbee Football, raising money for mission work, or occupying Washington, they are always on the move, seeking Gods will for their lives. Top photo (from left to right), juniors, Amber Carswell, Mary Alice Mathison, Benjamin Hart, Dennis Reid, and Daniel Stroud; middle photo, Curtis Farr (13) and Joel Atong raise awareness about the Missionary Society (12); bottom photo (from left to right): juniors, Jonathan Chesney, Mary Alice Mathison, Weston Mathews, Dorian Del Priore, and Nick Hull occupy Washington.
Advent Meditation
Student | Reflection
Prepare ye the way of the Lord...
Anyone who has ever visited my home can attest to the fact that housekeeping is not one of my skills. When the children were little, it was simply impossible for me to keep up. When they grew up and established homes of their own, I had the time to keep a clean house, but it seems there was always something more interesting or more important to do than removing dust from flat surfaces or vacuuming rugs. Most of the time, you can write your name, or any other message you like, in the dust on my tabletops. I never seem to mind that its there or that it might have messages in it. Given my penchant for not wanting to waste time cleaning, it surprises even me when I find myself at one particular time of year cleaning like crazy. It all began a few years ago when I went to put the creche out on top of the piano and even I was alarmed at the amount of dust that had collected on its otherwise well waxed surface. I decided that I couldnt put anything as meaningful and sacred as the ceramic creche on a surface that was so obviously in need of attention. I began to dust away. Once the surface sparkled to my own satisfaction, I unpacked the creche and lovingly placed each ceramic piece in its appropriate spot. As I did that, I began to think about a deeper meaning of the verse that kept circling in my head: Prepare ye the way of the Lord I thought about all the things we do to prepare for the holidays: we clean the house, put clean linens on the beds for guests, write Christmas cards, buy special gifts, put decorations all over the house, make our favorite foods, put up the Christmas tree, wrap the packages, etc., etc. etc. It seems the list never ends. Those of us already living in overdrive find ourselves in a kind of double overdrive... and Christ himself seems to be at the bottom of the list. As I began to clean the house, I began to think about Christ. I began to talk to Him and to ask Him about preparing a way for Him. I began to think about what I needed to clean out of my heart as I was cleaning away the dust and grime from my home to put up the decorations designed to honor Him. As I swept the floor and wiped surfaces clean, I realized that I also needed to sweep out the grudges Id been holding in my heart during the last year, I began to realize that while it was relatively easy to list my sins and misdeeds during the year what I really needed to do was start pushing the heavy broom of forgiveness to sweep away completely the hurts and anger I had been nursing all year. In order to make room for Christ, I had to get rid of all of the trash that occupied my heart. I needed to spruce up my soul in the same way I had been sprucing up my house. Preparing for Christmas suddenly took on a whole new meaning. As I went about my Christmas preparation chores, I spiritually cleared a way for Christ so that Prepare ye the way of the Lord became the background and foundation for my Christmas preparations each year. - Liz Tomlinson, Class of 2014 Diocese of Virginia
Above: Students led the first ever campus-wide walkathon to raise money for ALIVE! House for the Homeless. Led by Andrew Terry (12), Brenda Sol (12, pictured above, far left) and Amber Carswell (14) of the Social Concerns Committee, the students raised $2,730. News from the Hill www.vts.edu
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Evangelism | Matters
This past September, the Rev. David Gortner, Ph.D., director of VTS Doctor of Ministry Program and professor of Evangelism and Congregational Leadership, led a well-attended, all day bootcamp on evangelism. Here he shares his thoughts on the topic:
are open to witness God at work in the lives of others, even in the most unlikely of situations, where the presence of the Holy is named for people, where Christ is met and honored even by name. Lives of witness are lives of continuous, easy testimony to what is known deep in ones bones. Our testimony comes from experiences and insights of our own lives and the lives of all Christian people we have encountered who have taught us to see and engage the world differently. A lively public faith is a faith lived in all settings. A deep habit of being has formed, an ease has developed, so that all of life is Gods stage, a space of discovery and homein the family, in the neighborhood, at work, at play, in the store, in the restaurant, at the DMV, in the jail, on the bus. The habit of expecting and attending to the presence of the Holy Spirit becomes like the notice of temperature and season and weather. And this habit makes our speech easy. q
vangelism matters, and is at the heart of who we are as Christians. We have pledged ourselves in baptism: - to seek and serve Christ in each person we encounter - to proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ Jesus.
Words matter. And not ALL words matter. The language of the heart matters. Lives of witness are lives where word and deed are unified, where the Holy Spirit is expected, where words reflect the poetry and drama and comedy of life blessed and infused and redeemed by God, where the washing of feet is accompanied by conversation that invites understanding: Do you know and understand what I have done? Lives of witness are lives on high alert, where eyes and ears and hearts
Right: God talk - Participants from the Evangelism Bootcamp discuss what it felt like to talk about their faith in public.
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Leadership for the Changing Church: Effective Clergy-Lay Partnerships to Revitalize Congregations Episcopal Church Foundation 9 AM 3 PM Cost: $40
February 24 - March 3, 2012
Study Refresher for Church Leaders Cost: $645 ($565 if using a free alum night)
March 10, 2012
Fridays at the Seminary: Nimble Believing: Lenten Quiet Day 9 AM - 3 PM Cost: $40
April 11, 2012
Building Philanthropic and Collaborative Relationships at Episcopal Early Childhood Education Programs 9 AM 3 PM Cost: $ 60 (NAES members) $ 75 (non-members)
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Year-end Roundup
Its been a busy fall here in the Office of Alumni, Annual Fund, and Church Relations. As we look toward the end of 2011, here are some fall highlights and items of note:
Over 150 alumni gathered in October for the 2011 Alumni Convocation, with class reunion gatherings, lectures by Duke University professor, Lauren Winner, and noted church historian Diarmaid MacCulloch, updates on Seminary life and the new Chapel. The Academic Convocation Evensong included the awarding of honorary degrees and a compelling sermon by AAEC President Day Dodson. It was a time of catching up with friends old and new, sharing worship, and breaking bread together.
We were delighted by the success of the Fall Phonathon, held November 1-4. Thanks to the great participation by students, and the superb leadership of Dean Ian Markham and Vice President Barney Hawkins, we exceeded goal by over 50%, raising close to $75,000. The 2011-12 Annual Fund is off to a strong start and were counting on that strength continuing through the remainder of the fiscal year. Many thanks to all of you who have already contributed to this years Annual Fund. A special note about a new option for giving: monthly deductions from your credit card or bank account.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, Regional Chapters will be developed as yet another way to build networks that will also help us support you and our connection with you. Youll hear more about
Fall Phonathon
Left: At the Alumni Convocation, the Class of 2001 celebrates their 10 years of ministry.
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Class Notes
Please share your news with us! Write: Office of Alumni Affairs, 3737 Seminary Rd., Alexandria, VA 22304 E-mail: alumni@vts.edu Call: 703-461-1736 Fax: 703-370-0138 Email Address Changes to: manderson@vts.edu
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The Rev. Dr. Shannon Ledbetter, canon, Blackburn Cathedral, Blackburn, England.
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The Rev. Nathan Rugh, rector of St. Augustine by-the-Sea, Santa Monica, CA.
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The Rev. Michael C. Nation, chaplain, Ministry on the River, the Seamens Church Institute; pastoral care ministry for mariners in the Lower Mississippi River Region, Vicksburg, MS.
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The Rev. Jason R. Cox, associate rector for Youth Ministries, St. Columbas Episcopal Church, Washington, DC.
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The Rev. Michael R. Pipkin, associate, St. Johns Episcopal Church, Charlotte, NC. The Rev. Lyndon Shakespeare, director of Program Ministry, Washington National Cathedral, Washington, DC.
The Rev. Betsy Baumgarten, chaplain, Coast Episcopal School, Long Beach, MS. The Rev. Richard M. Humm, rector, St. John the Evangelist, Lockport, IL. The Rev. Phoebe A. Roaf, rector, St. Philips Episcopal Church, Richmond, VA. The Rev. Gwendolyn Tobias, associate priest, St. Josephs Episcopal Church, Boynton Beach, FL.
Keeping
In Touch
The Journal The Seminarys magazine for alumni and friends. Once per year, in the fall. News from the Hill The Seminarys newsletter for supporters of VTS. Three times per year, in March, June, and December. The eNews Email updates about happenings at VTS. The first day of each month. The Deans Commentary Daily Seminary updates from Dean Markham and/or other guest contributors. Daily, Monday-Friday. Alumni Convocation 2012 Annual conference for graduates of the Seminary. Next year: October 2 & 3. You can also find us on:
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The Rev. Allan B. Johnson-Taylor, rector, St. Pauls Rock Creek Parish, Washington, DC.
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The Rev. Roger Kevin Kelly, rector, Trinity Episcopal Church, Baton Rouge, LA.
The Rev. Barbara Bambi C. Willis, priest-in-charge, St. Asaphs Episcopal Church, Bowling Green, VA.
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The Rev. Jennifer Andrews-Weckerly, rector of St. Margarets Church, Plainview, NY. The Rev. Robert Wetherington, priest-in-charge, Church of the Redeemer: Biloxi, MS.
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The Rev. Evan Clendenin, curate, The Cathedral of St. Paul, Erie, PA. The Rev. Ann Dale, supply priest, St. Peters Episcopal Church, Sunbury, NC The Rev. Heather Erickson, associate rector, All Saints Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills, CA. The Rev. Kathy Guin, assistant vicar, St. Peters in the Woods, Fairfax Station, VA.
Left: the Ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Washington, the Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde (M.Div.,88; D.Min. 08) at her consecration on November 12 at the Washington National Cathedral.
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OF NOTE
On December 3, the Fightin Friars whomped the Penguins 26-0 during the annual VTS vs. GTS football game. Good sportsmanship and fun prevailed!
Students held a benefit concert in early December to benefit a medical clinic in Myanmar. Thanks to the generosity of its patrons, the concert raised $3,370.
On November 29, 2011, at Episcopal Charities Annual Tribute Dinner at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, the Rt. Reverend Herbert A. Donovan, Jr. (VTS 57, pictured far left) and his wife, Dr. Mary Sudman Donovan (right), were honored. The award was presented by the Rt. Rev. Mark S. Sisk, bishop of New York. Episcopal Charities, the outreach arm of the Diocese of New York, provides funding and support to parish-based programs serving children and adults in need on a non-sectarian basis. One hundred percent of Tribute Dinner proceeds go directly to support its 90 programs throughout the New York area.
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The Rev. Edward H. Ingle, VTS 1864 parish in which he lived. My own personal experience is confined to a period of about seven months in 1863 and 1864, during which I was a student at Staunton, Virginia under the Rev. William Sparrow, D.D., who was Professor of Everything in the Seminary, who was the dean and the faculty all in one, and how indeed carried the whole Institution under his hand and brain. He taught us Hebrew, New Testament Greek, Evidences, church History and Systematic Divinity, and he taught them all well, for he was not only an accomplished scholar and a profound theologian, but also a magnetic and an inspiring teacher, who roused the faculties of his students to their best endeavor. Above all, he exercised over us a deep spiritual influence and we felt it a great privilege to be associated with him day by day and to come under the spell of his exalted personality. Besides all this we had the opportu-
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A Season of Planning
Based on recommendations by the Chapel for the Ages Committee to the board's Building and Grounds Committee, the trustees of Virginia Theological Seminary unanimously approved the Chapel Concept Designs as developed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects of New York. The building envisioned will complement the red brick of the historic buildings currently on campus and will include a slate roof and a motor court at the ceremonial entrance to the chapel. The blueprint for the chapel acknowledges the need for support rooms such as a sacristy, a vesting room, a choir room, and a nursery. The worship space is designed in the shape of a Greek cross with seating such that no one will be situated more than seven rows away from the altar. The design allows for plenty of natural light although no decision has been made about the use of stained glass. "Our trustees are completely engaged in the building of our new chapel, said Dean Markham. Not only have they given 100% financially to our efforts, they have worked hard to ensure that this new place of worship will serve the community for generations to come. Robert A.M. Stern Architects' design also responds to projects that have for years been under consideration at the Seminary: the repositioning of the Welcome Centers entrance toward Seminary Road and the relocation of the Seminarys main drive-in entrance to the west along Seminary Road across from the Seminary Hill neighborhood.
Going Over the Options (clockwise): VTS Vice President of Administration and Finance, Heather Zdancewicz and the Rev. Dr. Bill Shiflet, chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee; Robert A.M. Stern Associate, Rosa Maria Colinia; landscape architect, Michael Vergason; and Grant F. Marani, partner at Robert A.M. Stern Architects.
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Institutional | Advancement
ence and wealth, all belong to the whole world. If we belong to God, we belong to the worldfor God so loved the world. At the heart of Jesus teachings was this corporate understanding of money and all that we possess. For those of us who have much, we must conclude at some point that we cannot be rich by ourselves. There is an interdependence of rich and poor which we overlook at our own peril. As Stringfellow asserts, we live in this world at each others expense. This is a confession we must make in this day of Occupy Wall Street and longer lines at Food Banks. The poor need the rich; and the rich need the poor. Extremes, however, are not helpful! Giving to our parish church and to the churchs institutions is using our money sacramentally. We give because God loves us in Jesus Christ. We give because we are part of the Body of Christand thereby part of the world that God loves so much. We give because we belong to each other, rich and poor. Your gifts to VTS help us form Christcentered leaders who will go out and spend the church for the sake of the whole world. We do not form technicians. We do not form leaders who will spend their time maintaining the church as it is. We form leaders who are about Gods mission in the worldmen and women who seek the mind of Christ in all things. We want to form leaders who lose their lives in service so that the world will be given life. q
spend our hard-earned money. Its ours, thank you very much. But then we know that the money we have is not really ours. William Stringfellow, a thoughtful mid-twentieth century Episcopal layman and lawyer, makes it plain: The charity of Christians, in other words, in the use of money sacramentallyin both liturgy and in the worldhas no serious similarity to the conventional charity but is always a specific dramatization of the members of the Body of Christ losing their life in order that the world be given life. For members of the church, therefore, it always implies a particular confession that their money is not their own because their lives are not their own but, by the example of Gods own love, belong to the world. I do think Stringfellow gets it right. As Christians, we belong to the world. He confesses: ones money and possessions, talents and time, influ-
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News from the Hill is published regularly by the Virginia Theological Seminary, 3737 Seminary Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22304. Telephone: 703.370.6600. Please direct News from the Hill comments, questions or story ideas to Susan Shillinglaw at sshillinglaw@vts.edu. Send address changes or corrections to Michael Potin at mpotin@vts.edu.
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