The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D., Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) and President of The General Theological Seminary (GTS) has announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2027-2028 academic year after 21 years of leadership.

The Boards of Trustees of GTS and VTS are launching an international search for the next Dean and President of the two seminaries. The Boards have appointed a Search Committee, whose membership represents a range of stakeholders from both Seminaries, to lead the process and have engaged the executive search firm Isaacson, Miller to assist them.

The search process will begin with extensive listening sessions with stakeholder groups, such as alumni, students, faculty, staff and members of the wider Episcopal Church, to identify the qualities and experience the new Dean and President should have. A position description will be created in the summer of 2026 following these listening sessions, after which the Seminaries will begin accepting applications.

The new Dean and President will be announced in the summer or fall of 2027, with a view to them taking office on July 1, 2028, when President Markham retires. The seminaries have opted for an extended timeline for the search to enable them to access the broadest possible pool of candidates.

President Markham said: “It has been a profound privilege to serve as leader of these two institutions, and I am deeply grateful to the staff, students, faculty, and board members who have walked this path with me. I remain humbled by the trust I was given and by the chance to serve our shared mission. I look to the future with confidence and hope as my successor leads these Seminaries into fresh possibilities.”

We will be announcing details about the first round of listening sessions soon.

A hub containing details about the search has been created on the GTS website and will be updated when there is news to share.

You can view it here: : https://www.gts.edu/dean-search/overview