A periodic communiqué
from Dr. Scott D. Miller,
President of
Virginia Wesleyan University
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A Letter for Leaders in the Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church
Good morning,
In an earlier issue, I mentioned a significant contribution from a Virginia Wesleyan benefactor to renovate and restore the bell tower on campus. Located in front of Monumental Chapel, the 44-year-old tower was identified in our 10-year Campus Master Plan as needing immediate structural attention. I'm pleased to share that work began in May and is expected to be completed by late September.
When the restoration is finished, the revitalized new Beacon will be not only a symbol of our United Methodist heritage, but also one of hope for the bright future ahead for Coastal Virginia's Premier University of the Liberal Arts and Sciences.
In honor of this exciting project, we proudly rename this e-newsletterThe Beacon to remind all United Methodist pastors, especially our alumni and many friends throughout the Virginia Annual Conference, that Virginia Wesleyan will always uphold the tradition of the Church and honor the University's past while meeting the challenges and opportunities of the future. I hope you will join us on campus for Homecoming and Family Weekend on October 5-7 to see our newly restored Beacon.
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VWU was proud to participate in Annual Conference at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in June. It has been an honor and privilege to serve the past two years as Chair of the Association of Educational Institutions of the Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church. With my term as Chair now concluded, I welcome incoming chair, David Johns, President of Ferrum College, to the position.
Thank you to our esteemed alumni who came to our luncheon during Annual Conference. It was a pleasure to greet so many alumni, spanning from the 1970s to the 2010s, and to update them on the progress of their alma mater.
We were also pleased to have our 2018 Baccalaureate Speaker, Karla Kincannon '76, H'18, and her husband Jim Noseworthy join us for our alumni luncheon. Jim is the former Assistant General Secretary for Higher Education of the United Methodist Church, and Karla recently retired from Aldersgate UMC in Alexandria, Virginia. We wish her the best in this new chapter in her life.
During the conference, I hope you enjoyed the Saturday evening performance from the Wesleyan Chorale, led by Dr. Bryson Mortensen, during the Service for the Ordering of Ministry. The opportunity to perform during the conference is a great honor, and we are proud that our talented choir was selected for this occasion.
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Earlier in July, I attended the National Association of Schools and Colleges of The United Methodist Church (NASCUMC) Board of Directors meeting in Williamsburg, Virginia. I have served on the 18-member NASCUMC Board for many years and the annual meeting each summer is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about trends on the campuses of the 119-affiliated institutions and important issues in the church.
Mark Hanshaw, Associate General Secretary for the General Board of Higher Education & Ministry, updated the Board on the hotly debated work of the Commission on a Way Forward. (
View photos.)
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I wish you the best as we enjoy the remainder of the summer.
Sincerely,
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Scott D. Miller, Ph.D.
President
Virginia Wesleyan University
5817 Wesleyan Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
Phone: 757.455.3215
Fax: 757.455.3139
Email: sdmiller@vwu.edu
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