At its May 1 meeting, the Executive Board approved a gift of $10,000
over three years to Virginia Theological Seminary honoring the Mission
and Diversity Transept of the new Immanuel Chapel. The transept will
honor Bishop John T. Walker, the first African-American student to be
admitted to VTS and the first African-American bishop of Washington.
Walker also served as Dean of the National Cathedral.
The new Immanuel Chapel will be a "Chapel for the Ages" and is scheduled for completion in October 2015. It
is part of a "Worship and Welcome" quad, which includes an improved
welcome center. The remains of the 1881 Chapel, which was destroyed by
fire in 2010, have been converted into a garden.
Included
in the design of the new chapel are four transepts: a transept honoring
congregational and diocesan leadership; a transept celebrating arrival
and baptism; a transept near the organ in honor of music; and a transept
honoring the seminary's commitment to mission and diversity. The
Mission and Diversity Transept will recall VTS history, celebrate the
present, and point to a rich future of mission and diversity honoring
Bishop Walker and all who have led the way.
