Ten months ago tragedy destroyed the heart of the Virginia Theological Seminary-the VTS chapel, the vital core of seminarian formation for 129 years, the place of daily gathering for praying seminarians.  Shocked and devastated was the VTS community when Seminary Chapel burned to the ground. Of that day Dean Ian Markham responded, "We are hurting. Yet we are worshipping. This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it."  Full rejoicing came on August 10, 2011, the day when the Lettie Pate Evans Interim Chapel opened in beautifully renovated space on the VTS grounds. The Dean's welcome capped a bold journey from "ashes to alleluias."

Not only was it a new day for VTS.  It was also a day of welcoming for a large incoming class of 45 M.Div. students, five MA students, five international students, three Anglican Studies students, two full-time special students and three part-time special students. SIM was honored to attend and to offer its own welcome to 22 VTS seminary students, who have been awarded SIM grants for the 2011/2012 year.

Dean Ian Markham; Rev. Helen Moore; Tom Moore, Executive Director of SIM

The Collect prayed in this service of welcome is entitled,
"For the choice of fit persons for the ministry":
"O God, you led your holy apostles to ordain ministers in every place: Grant that your Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may choose suitable persons for the ministry of Word and Sacrament, and may uphold them in their work for the extension of your kingdom." (Book of Common Prayer, page 256.)

The Society for the Increase of the Ministry's founding purpose has been it's mission  for 154 years: "to find suitable persons for the Episcopal ministry and aid them in acquiring a thorough education."   

 

For the extension of God's kingdom; for the increase of the ministry; please invest in funding theological education for Episcopal seminarians.  

 

Faithfully,