VTS magazine

Our work is eternity. Our focus is the Creator God and the extraordinary presence of God in time. However, this work of eternity constantly touches our immediate moment. You are reading this after the midterms. The politics of Washington is now different. Now the journey starts to our next Presidential elections in 2028.

This issue of the Seminary magazine explores the theme of how eternity relates to the moment. The Board of the Seminary decided to honor Bishop Budde after her sermon at the national prayer service on January 21, 2025. Bishop Budde is an alum three times over – a Master of Divinity, a Doctor of Ministry, and an honorary Doctor of Divinity. The institution that formed her wanted to recognize that we supported her as she reflected back to the President of the United States the baptismal covenant and the exhortations of the prophet Micah. This issue also touches on the collection of essays produced by the Faculty following Bishop Budde’s sermon, Have Mercy: Following Jesus in Politically Perilous Times (edited by Ruthanna Hooke, Kyle Lambelet and Altagracia Perez-Bullard.) We are trying to think through how to model the relationship of the Gospel of eternity with our particular moment in time.

Part of our response is to take the long view. We are a place of formation. We are seeking to invite the God of love to mold a human life so that they can touch the lives of others with that love. Formation is not a social media post. It is the result of years of “class, chapel, and lunch.” We need the potter to work carefully on the clay. And the results of this formation will take years and decades to materialize.

It is also only years later that one can see the impact of a ministry: the teenager at a summer camp who discovers a zeal for the faith thanks to an alum leading a church retreat there, and then this teenager develops a significant profile as a faith-based justice advocate who creates new possibilities for the United States and the world. We do not know what seeds are being planted and how exactly things will unfold.

I am constantly impressed by our students and by those who graduate and by those who are serving in different ministry settings around the country and the world. It is a privilege to have this perspective. The Senior Sermons are a real insight into the quality of thoughtful formation and the deep integrity with which our seniors are seeking to live into the Gospel. Our recent Alumni Convocation brought together leaders of congregations which are holding their own numerically and, in many cases, growing. My visits with Senior Vice President Nicky Burridge to different parts of the country reveals yet another extraordinary ministry unfolding. We were in Dallas recently and had the privilege of touring the transformed campus of St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church with the Rector, the Rev. Dr. Chris Girata. The Holy Spirit is at work. The Episcopal Church is making a difference.

Enjoy this issue of the magazine. And as you engage with the different perspectives and contributions allow yourself to be encouraged. There are plenty of signs of hope out there.