Ian Markham to succeed Martha Horne as dean and president of Virginia seminary
Episcopal News Service. May 16, 2007 [051607-10]
The Board of Trustees of the Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) announced that Dr. Ian Markham, dean of Hartford Seminary and professor of Theology and Ethics, will become 14th dean and president of VTS succeeding the Rev. Martha J. Horne, who is retiring after 13 years service with distinction as dean and president of the Alexandria-based seminary.
"It will be an honor and privilege to serve as dean of Virginia Seminary, which has served the Gospel and the Church with distinction for so many years," said Markham upon being informed of his selection.
Markham has been dean of Hartford Seminary and professor of Theology and Ethics since August of 2001. He also served as director of the seminary’s Doctor of Ministry program from 2001 to 2005, and directed the accreditation self-study process from 2002 to 2003. Prior to serving as dean he was Foundation Dean and Liverpool Professor of Theology and Public Life at Liverpool Hope University in Liverpool, England, from 1998 to 2001, where he served as a member of the senior management team and strategic planning committee; Liverpool Professor of Theology and Public Life at Liverpool Hope University from 1996 to December 1998; and lecturer and sub dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Exeter in England from 1989 to August of 1996.
"The Board of Trustees and the Seminary community are enthusiastic about the appointment of Dr. Markham, and eagerly anticipate his arrival on campus in August 2007," said David Charlton, chair of the seminary’s Nominating Committee. "He was elected by a unanimous vote of the Board of Trustees after a thorough search and consideration of a large number of candidates by the Nominating Committee."
Markham holds a Ph.D. in Christian Ethics from the University of Exeter, an M. Litt. in Philosophy and Ethics from the University of Cambridge, and a Bachelor of Divinity in Theology from the University of London.
"The success of our search for a new dean and president is due to the dedication and contributions of members of the Nominating Committee, and many individuals within and beyond the Seminary community," said Bishop Peter James Lee of Virginia and chairman of the board of trustees at VTS. "On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the Nominating Committee, we thank you for your prayers during this period of discernment and for your continued support of our beloved Seminary’s ministry to the church and its witness to the world."
As a theologian and an ethicist, Markham has taught courses at the graduate level in Christian theology and religious diversity, constructive theology, historical theology, worship, and spirituality. He is the author of numerous publications, including Do Morals Matter: A Guide to Contemporary Religious Ethics (Blackwell, 2007); A Theology of Engagement (Blackwell, 2003); Truth and the Reality of God (T & T Clark, 1998); and Plurality and Christian Ethics (Cambridge University Press, 1994). He has edited and contributed to many collections of essays, such as Globalization, Ethics and Islam (Ashgate, 2005) and September 11: Religious Perspectives on the Causes and Consequences (Oneworld, 2002). He is a candidate for holy orders in the Diocese of Connecticut and will be ordained to the diaconate on June 9, 2007.
He and his wife Lesley have one son, Luke.
Founded in 1823, VTS is the largest of the 11 accredited seminaries of the Episcopal Church.