VTS magazine

It was our alumnus, the Rev. David Umphlett, who asked whether the Seminary would accept a portrait of the Rev. James Barney Hawkins IV, Ph.D., to mark his retirement from Virginia Theological Seminary after 23 years.

Perhaps, David mused, it could hang in the Chapel, given that it was Barney who oversaw that remarkable fundraising campaign and was deeply involved in the Chapel’s design. David noted that there had always been a plan to have a portrait in the Chapel. Originally it was to be of Charlie Price, but now Barney could take that place. All the funds, David explained, would be raised externally. As I reflected on the offer, I felt I had no choice but to accept. The Seminary’s debt, indeed, my personal debt, is considerable. Barney has done so much for VTS.

Let us start with the Chapel. Barney’s role in the creation of the new Immanuel Chapel stands as one of his most distinctive and enduring contributions to the Seminary. His leadership extended beyond the formidable task of fundraising to a deep involvement in the design process itself. The Board of Trustees engaged Robert A. M. Stern Architects to design the chapel, and for two years Barney and I met with the Stern team every two weeks in Alexandria and New York. Barney helped bring into being a worship space of extraordinary beauty and theological integrity. The resulting Chapel stands as a living testament to a eucharistically centered liturgy and as a symbol of the Seminary’s enduring vitality within both The Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion. It was an amazing achievement.

Barney has been a pillar of VTS since joining the faculty in 2000. Over nearly a quarter of a century, he gave his energy, intellect, and heart to the formation of clergy and the strengthening of the wider Anglican Communion. He stepped down as Vice President for Institutional Advancement in 2013 but continued as Director of the Bicentennial Campaign and Construction Projects through to the end of 2023 when he retired. During his tenure, he also served as Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program, Associate Dean for the Center for Anglican Communion Studies, and Professor of Pastoral Theology – becoming the Arthur Carl Lichtenberger Professor in Pastoral Theology and Continuing Education in 2013.

Let me conclude this article by musing on my personal debt to Barney. One of the great gifts of my life has been the opportunity to work closely with Barney. When I arrived at Virginia Theological Seminary, I was acutely aware that I was a baby priest with much to learn. Barney became my tutor. He provided a map of The Episcopal Church, introduced me to alumni and friends in our orbit, and became a key conversation partner.

Fundraising was a craft I needed to learn, and Barney was an extraordinary teacher. Blessed with an exceptional team in Institutional Advancement – thank you, Linda Dienno, Jennifer Greiner, Shelagh Casey Brown, Jeffri Harre, Ray Sabalis, Ann Roebuck, Debbie Townsend, Bill Campbell, Charles Fischer, and Meredith Wied – he led with grace and vision. First came the Chapel Campaign, which raised $18 million, followed by the Bicentennial Campaign, which raised $62 million. The result was a season of inspired construction, guided by Barney’s discerning eye for elegance and beauty. The campus was refreshed in a stunning and lasting way.

With his gentle southern drawl, I have watched him tell a group of Republican Episcopalians in South Carolina that we need to raise up African American leadership, or in other settings insist that we must honor the voices of the LGBTQ+ community. It was Barney who first suggested to me that VTS create a Reparations Program, a vision that, through the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Joseph Thompson and Ms. Ebonee Davies, became a pioneering model and a source of national attention.

Travel was inevitably a key part of our work together, and it was often over a drink at the end of a VTS event that ideas would emerge. We collaborated on several book projects, including The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to the Anglican Communion, Words That Listen, and, most recently, a forthcoming volume on pilgrimages.

Pilgrimages are among Barney’s great passions. I suspect he recreates a parish environment on each journey – serving as both pastor and teacher. His love is especially for the Holy Land, but he has also led extraordinary pilgrimages to England, France, and Turkey. I hope to continue traveling with him on these sacred journeys.

One distinctive feature of Barney’s travels is his devotion to the Holy Family in the form of crèches. His collection is extraordinary. In these intricate figures, one sees the diverse ways in which cultures across the world depict Mary, Joseph, and the Christ Child. Through them, one realizes that Christ is truly for all people. VTS is blessed to hold a collection of some 80 crèches gifted by Barney, displayed in the lower level of the Welcome Center.

No reflection on Barney would be complete without recognizing the central role of his family. Barney is fiercely protective of those he loves. His life has been richly shared with his wife, the Reverend Linda Wofford Hawkins – his steadfast partner in ministry since 1975. Together they have raised two remarkable children, Ellen and Crawford. They are now blessed with a daughter-in-law, Adrienne, and an adorable grandchild, Marietta.

Unfortunately, Barney was not present when his portrait was unveiled in March this year, as his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains was under threat from a wildfire. Instead, Barney joined the occasion on Zoom and his son Crawford spoke eloquently in his stead. The occasion also marked the unveiling of my own portrait and the Awarding of the Dean’s Cross for Servant Leadership to Richard Fennell, the artist who painted both portraits. VTS is now blessed to have five of Fennell’s portraits. He also painted the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee, Diocesan Bishop of Virginia (1985-2009), upon his retirement as Chair of the Board of Trustees, and members of faculty the Rev. Lloyd Alexander “Tony” Lewis, Jr., Ph.D., and the Rev. Charles Price.

Our best selves are always the result of the influence of others. I have been blessed by many who have helped me become a better person – Barney is certainly among them. Thank you, Barney, for your wisdom, your friendship, and your priestly heart.