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Markham, Ph.D. Reparations Campus Calendar Lifelong Learning Lifelong Learning Activate Baptism Global Impact Global Impact The Center for Anglican Communion Studies GTS/VTS Affiliation VTS-Ming Hua Partnership Give Give Giving at VTS Search Form Search For Alumni For Community Welcome to Serving the Church and the World Explore Our Programs Upcoming Event Future of The Episcopal Church 05/16/2024 Learn More Upcoming Event Rumi Forum: Scriptural Reasoning 05/16/2024 Learn More Upcoming Event Godly Play Commuter Core Module 1: Sacred Space, Sacred Stories 05/18/2024 Learn More Upcoming Event Granting Rest: The Transformative Power of Sabbaticals 05/23/2024 Learn More Upcoming Event “The False White Gospel,” presentation by Rev. Jim Wallis, Georgetown University Center for Faith and Justice 09/26/2024 Learn MoreCommencement 2024 The 201st Commencement of will take place at Immanuel Chapel on Thursday, May 9 at 10:00 a.m. For those unable to join us in person to celebrate the Class of 2024, the ceremony will be livestreamed here: livestreamed Dean’s Commentary Anglican Worship in Japan Keep Reading Degree Spotlight Diploma in Theology The 24 credit hour Diploma in Theology program allows for the greatest amount of flexibility in the design of a program of theological study that will meet the student’s overall goals for study and academic interests. Learn More View All ProgramsCommencement 2024 The 201st Commencement of will take place at Immanuel Chapel on Thursday, May 9 at 10:00 a.m. For those unable to join us in person to celebrate the Class of 2024, the ceremony will be livestreamed Show Your Support Your gift to VTS is a powerful force for good in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion: forming leaders, strengthening the Church, touching the lives of people in need of God’s love, and providing resources for ministry around the world. VTS relies on gifts of all sizes, and you play a vital role in sustaining our mission and ministry. Give Today What’s New at VTS? Press Release celebrates its 201st Commencement 05/09/2024 (VTS) today celebrated its 201st Commencement. Degrees and diplomas were conferred on 53 students across the Seminary’s… Press Release New faculty book explores how politics can be a spiritual practice 04/15/2024 In The Good News of Church Politics, The Rev. Ross Kane, Ph.D., shows how healthy Christian politics start with loving… Press Release appoints two new faculty members 04/08/2024 ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 8, 2024 – is pleased to announce the appointment of Kyle Lambelet, Ph.D., and Colin… See All News & Publications VTS at a Glance Explore VTS Students 168 Total Alumni 3,298 Master’s-Level Courses 134 Global Impact For 200 Years, has been at the forefront of international Anglican witness and education. The Center for Anglican Communion Studies is an integral part of that witness, making available scholars and scholarship in the service of a reconciling intercultural Anglicanism. We equip the international community of Anglicans and Episcopalians by hosting conferences, providing consultations, and supporting partnerships and projects with churches and theological institutions. Explore CACS Visit Our Campus The Welcome Center offers visitor information, guest house check-in, maps for a self-guided campus tour, and a relaxing and friendly meeting area for our community, complete with fresh coffee and internet access. It is the first stop for visitors, including prospective students, looking to orient themselves to the Holy Hill. Visiting VTS Countdown to 200 – The Timeline Founded in 1823, is commemorating our historic bicentenary with a look at our first two centuries. Recognizing the grace as well as the sin, this continuously updated timeline is a terrific resource for the history of not just VTS or The Episcopal Church, but of 200 years of faith in America. 1823 First class of . The initial fourteen seminary students begin the year with classes taught by the Rev. William Wilmer at St. Paul’s, Alexandria. The Rev. Reuel Keith, first professor, and students soon relocate to rented quarters at the corner of King and Washington streets. 1849-51 Liberian students. At the request of the Rt. Rev. John Payne (VTS 1836), the first bishop of the Missionary District of Liberia, three Grebo men, Musu (English name: John Minor), Bidi Wah (G.T. Bedell), and Ku Sia (Clement F. Jones), train for ordained ministry at . They are welcomed into the home of and supported by Professor May and his wife, Ellen, in a foreign, segregated land while so many Africans, and those of African descent, remain in bondage. Musu, Bidi Wah, and Ku Sia are the only students of African descent to study at VTS for 100 years. 1861 VTS and the Civil War. With the Civil War imminent, and officials in Alexandria warning of skirmishes locally, the campus is vacant of faculty and students by the end of May. Professor Packard recollects thinking the conflict would end shortly so he simply locks the door and leaves all his family’s possessions in place, falsely assuming they’d still be here upon return. Professors Sparrow and Packard attempt to continue schooling in Staunton, Virginia while the student body slowly dwindles as they go off to support the war effort. 1916 Joseph DuBray, 1st Native American Indian graduate. Only the second known Native American Indian to enroll at , the Rev. Joseph DuBray is the first to receive his degree. DuBray returns to South Dakota and ministers to the Lower Brule Mission for the entirety of his career. He is the only identifying Native American Indian to attend VTS for the next 100 years. 1954 John Walker graduates VTS. A year to the day after the merger with BPDS, John T. Walker graduates from VTS. Walker goes on to become Suffragan Bishop, Bishop Coadjutor, and eventual Diocesan Bishop, as well as Dean of National Cathedral. 1959 First woman graduate. Entering as a transfer student in 1958, Marian Smallegan graduates in 1959. Women are not yet formally admitted to the degree program, but are admitted on special, case-by-case basis. Not a candidate for ordination, Smallegan is ultimately an Associate Professor of Nursing at UNC Chapel Hill. She is awarded a Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa, in 1989. 1974 Philadelphia Eleven. Frustrated by the lack of action of the 1973 General Convention and unwilling to wait for 1976, eleven women and three retired bishops defy canon law. On July 29, 1974, at the Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia, eleven women, including Allison Cheek (VTS 1969) and Nancy Hatch Wittig (VTS 1974) are ordained to the priesthood. Four more women, including Betty Powell (VTS 1972) are ordained in Washington, DC on September 7, 1975. These ordinations force the Church’s hand and women’s ordination to the priesthood and episcopacy is finally approved during the 1976 General Convention. 2010 Immanuel Chapel fire. On Friday, October 22, at 3:55 p.m., the 1881 Immanuel Chapel is destroyed by fire. The heart of VTS for 129 years, Immanuel Chapel was the spiritual home for generations of Alexandria residents, as well as students of Episcopal High School. The Chapel was fully engulfed in flames when the first fire crews arrived, destroying the majority of the stained glass windows, including a large iconic window underneath the words Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel.” Fortunately, no one was injured. Four years after the fire, the consecrated remains of the 1881 Chapel are dedicated as the Chapel Garden, serving as a peaceful spot for contemplation, for prayer and worship, and as the final resting place for some...