Virginia Theological Seminary is the flagship seminary of the Episcopal Church. Founded in 1823, VTS prepares women and men from around the world for both ordained and lay service in the Church. Students from every Episcopal province in the United States and from many other countries have found their way to VTS to be shaped by the discipline of worship in an environment committed to learning so that they can serve Christ effectively.Virginia Theological Seminary has led the way in forming leaders of the Episcopal Church, including: the Most Rev. John E. Hines (VTS 1933, D.D. 1946), former presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church; the Rt. Rev. John T. Walker (VTS 1954, D.D. 1978), the first African-American bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington; and theologian, author and lay preacher Ms. Verna J. Dozier (VTS D.D. 1978). Serving the worldwide Anglican Communion, Virginia Theological Seminary educates approximately 25% of those being ordained who received residential theological education.VTS celebrates the richness of the orthodox Christian tradition. We affirm the centrality of the Scriptures, the historic creeds, and our Prayer Book in our learning and living together. We recognize that Christians disagree about much and encourage the conversation as we seek to discern God's will for our age. Christians across the spectrum are welcome at VTS.