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May 16, 2017

VTS Sponsors Preaching Renewal Program

Deep Calls to Deep: A Program to Strengthen Episcopal Preaching is a year-long program at the Virginia Theological Seminary funded by the Lilly Endowment that emphasizes the spirituality of preaching. We nurture preaching passion in mid-career clergy by deepening their connection to the Holy Spirit and engaging their voices and bodies in the service of more passionate proclamation.

Peer groups of six working preachers, including a trained peer facilitator, meet monthly over a year to respond to each other’s preaching. The groups gather initially at a week-long residency in Virginia and conclude the year with a second residency. The program accepted 37 Fellows from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia for 2016-17 and 25 from the Episcopal Dioceses of Texas and New York for 2017-18. The two cohorts will meet at the 2017 Residency from June 10-16 entitled: “For Such a Time as This: Preaching for the Public Square.”

Here are the names of Episcopal Diocese of Texas clergy involved for 2017-2018: 

  

The Rev. Jimmy Abbott (VTS ’10) Holy Comforter, Spring, TX                                         

The Rev. Bert Baetz (Duke Divinity School ‘05) St. Mark’s, Richmond, TX                       

The Rev. Todd Bryant (Seminary of the Southwest ’06) Ascension, Houston, TX               

The Rev. Erin Hensley (VTS ‘07) St. Alban’s, Austin, TX                                                   

The Rev. Lisa Hines (Seminary of the Southwest ‘07) Calvary, Bastrop, TX                          

The Rev. Mary Ann Huston   (Seminary of the Southwest ’10) St. Mark’s, Houston, TX        

The Rev. Jerald Hyche (VTS ’04) St. James the Apostle, Conroe, TX                                    

The Rev. Chad McCall (Duke Divinity School ‘06; Iona Program (TX): Anglican Formation ’11) St. David’s, Austin, TX                                                                                             

The Rev. Alex Montes-Vela (VTS ‘05) St. Mary Magdalene, Manor, TX                                 

The Rev. Kathy Pfister (Seminary of the Southwest ’10) The Hill: 2nd campus of Good Shepherd, Austin, TX                                                                                                                            

The Rev. Glenice Robinson-Como (Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University ‘09; Seminary of the Southwest, Diploma of Theological Studies ‘10) Christ Church Cathedral, Houston, TX                                                                                                   

The Rev. Kevin Schubert (Seminary of the Southwest ’07) St. George's, Austin, TX            

The Rev. Victor Thomas (Church Divinity School of the Pacific ’97) St. James, Houston, TX

The Rt. Rev. Jeff W. Fisher, Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas will be a keynote speaker at the 2017 Residency on June 13 and will preach on June 14.