The Class of 2023

Commencement 2023 was a delight. The twenty-two graduates walked in the time-honored way to the front of the chapel. They had their degrees, hoods, and certificates presented. The achievement was recognized. There was a sense of joy as this all unfolded. There were some modest changes: students were not required to kneel before the President and the Latin was both read in Latin and then translated. But the thrust and the shape of the service remained the same.

There were alums on hand, as well as members of the new junior class hybrid cohort, serving and supporting the liturgy. We are grateful for their participation as the torch passes to a new generation. Two faculty members - the Rev. Dr. Michael Battle and the Rev. Dr. Julie Faith Parker - were honored with the Clement Clarke Moore Medal for their profound faithful service to General during this season of change.

In the end this is what our work is all about. It is about graduating gifted people for the kingdom. We did that on May 17, 2023. It was a great joy. It is a fabulous group of graduates. They have been through much; but their sense of self and their affection for each other is delightful. We were proud and honored to send these new leaders for the church ‘through the gates into the city’. Congratulations class of 2023.

The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary

Please join our celebration by scrolling down to see our Award and Prize winners, and view slide shows of both Baccalaureate and Commencement.

The Clement Clarke Moore Medal Awarded to Prof. Michael Battle & Prof. Julie Faith Parker

Proclamations by the Board of Trustees in recognition of their impact as teacher, pastor, and scholar — on General, the Church, and the world.

“The Very Rev. Michael Battle, Ph.D. – you have served as a professor at General Theological Seminary since 2015. During your tenure in this place you have taught, co-taught, or had oversight of 65 course sections, with responsibility for 171 instructional credits. As a result, countless students have been shaped by your theological and ethical approaches. Your passion for your mentor and friend, the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, has now been shared with a significant segment of the Episcopal Church. You have been the vehicle that brought the ethics of Tutu to the Episcopal Church in America.”

“The Rev. Dr. Julie Faith Parker – you have served as a professor at The General Theological Seminary since 2018. During your tenure in this place you have taught, co-taught, or had oversight of 26 course sections, with responsibility for 74 instructional credits. As a result, countless students have been shaped by your theological wisdom and creative pedagogy. As a scholar, with research focused on ancient Near Eastern languages and cultures, feminist biblical interpretation and you have pioneered the field of childist biblical interpretation which looks to reframe our relationship to the text and place children at the center. You, in effect, created a new academic discipline, which is continuing to attract considerable attention.”

Awards and Prizes

Bonnie Bivins

The Yoder Scholarship for work that engages the philosophy and reality of love
Sarah Bonay

The Bishop of Newark Preaching Prize
Alexander Cavanaugh

The George Cabot Ward Prize for the public reading of the Bible
Andrew Kryzak

Alumni Prize in Ecclesiastical History
Amanda Henes

The Edwin Cromey Prize for Excellence in Liturgical Studies and The American Bible Society Award for excellence in the study of biblical languages
Neal Medlyn

The Clement J. Whipple Prize to a student whose work has been accepted for publication
Kristen Ostendorf

The Seymour Prize for extemporaneous preaching
Michael Rudzena

The Episcopal Preaching Foundation Award for Preaching
Mary Edith Russell

The Martyrs of Memphis Award for Outstanding Service
Ann Satterfield

The George Cabot Ward Prize for the public reading of the Bible
Kirstin Swanson

The Winifred H. Clark, Jr., Prize in Anglican Mission and Social Justice
Ryan Zavacky

The Edwin Cromey Prize for Excellence in Liturgical Studies and The Church and Society Prize for a paper submitted on an aspect of urban life and ministry