The 213th Annual Council - Diocese of Virginia

Proceedings
General Session of the Council reconvened at 1:50 p.m.
Dean of Virginia Theological Seminary
The president introduced the Very Rev. Ian Markham of Virginia Theological Seminary
who offered a welcome and greeting.
Dean Markham addressed the Council:
Thank you very much, Bishop Lee, for that warm welcome, and thank you very much for
receiving me. I feel very honored and privileged to be standing here.
First and foremost, as an Episcopal priest—Bishop Lee ordained me as a priest on
December 11 last year, and I’m still adjusting to what that means in terms of my ministry
and vocation—and then secondly, as the dean and president of Virginia Theological
Seminary, I’m very aware of how much love that institution engenders in this room. It is
an important part of the life of this Diocese, and it will remain an important part of the
life of this Diocese. It is deeply committed to the values that are reflected in this Diocese.
I was very pleased when Bishop Lee highlighted the theme of orthodox and open, because
that’s very much where we are. We’re a school which loves the Lord Jesus, which is deeply
grounded in the witness of the biblical tradition, which is deeply committed to the values
as enshrined in the Prayer Book and in our creeds, and at the same time and emerging out
of that is also committed to openness, both in terms of the conversation—Christians have
always lived with disagreements, and we will continue to do that until the eschaton, and
we need to get used to that—and also open in terms of inclusivity and welcome, and that’s
where we positioned ourselves. We’re the broad center of the Episcopal Church. We will
do that work as God requires us to do so. We value the connections that our seminarians
have with the various churches in this room. I’m looking forward and slowly am getting to
meet many of you. Please do come visit us on the Seminary.
One reason that I became an Episcopal priest as opposed to a priest in the Church of
England is because I’m proud of the Episcopal Church. It’s worth reminding ourselves
of the vitality of many of our congregations, of the witness to important values in terms
of polity, the full inclusion of lay people. I come from a country where Her Majesty the
Queen still appoints bishops, and I think the Church of England—there is much they
could learn from the American Church. And therefore those values are a very important
part of the values that will be reflected in my ministry at Virginia Theological Seminary.
So, please stay in touch with us, and whenever you feel worried or down, just make your
way to the campus, make your way to the “Holy Hill.” Walk into the refectory, explain
that you’re a guest of the dean, and my office will be billed, and then just sit and talk to
some of our students, and you’ll discover that there’s all those things which are important
and precious to the Episcopal Church, and on which the future of the Episcopal Church
depends, you will discover in vast quantities in the lives and ministries of those students.
So please pray for the Seminary, and thank you very much for this welcome.
Introduction of Ecumenical Guests
The president introduced and welcomed ecumenical guests of Council. The Rev. Tom
Joyce offered a welcome on behalf of the Virginia Council of Churches.
• The Rev. Joseph Vought, representative of the Virginia Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America and pastor of Muhlenberg Lutheran Church in Harrisonburg
The Diocese of Virginia t Journal of the the 213 th Annual Council 77