ALEXANDRIA, Va., December 9, 2024 – Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) has conferred the Dean’s Cross for Servant Leadership on The Rev. Canon Jerry Anderson in recognition of his ministry to people with AIDS and his advocacy for LGBTQ+ inclusion. The Dean’s Cross is the highest honor the Seminary confers.
It was awarded to Canon Anderson by The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D., dean and president of VTS, and Stephen L. Humphrey, vice-chair of the Board of Trustees of VTS, on Sunday, December 8, 2023, during an Advent Service of Lessons and Carols. The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, IX Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire and Bishop-in-Residence, St. Thomas Parish, Washington, D.C., was also was also a lector and provided the concluding blessing at the service.”
A graduate of The General Theological Seminary, Canon Anderson’s ministry spans more than five decades, and has seen him serve in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Miami and Los Angeles. In the early 1980s, he became a became a leader in AIDS ministry, co-founding The Episcopal Caring Response to AIDS in the Diocese of Washington in 1986, and founding The Episcopal AIDS Ministry at Trinity Cathedral in Miami in 1996.
In 1981, while serving as an associate priest at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, Canon Anderson became the first priest in the Diocese of Washington to come out as a gay man, paving the way for deeper conversations about inclusivity and the acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals within The Episcopal Church.
The citation read: “Virginia Theological Seminary celebrates Canon Anderson’s ministry to people with AIDS, his advocacy for LGBTQ+ inclusion, and for being a faithful servant of Christ, whose life is a testament to love, compassion, and grace. VTS is proud to honor him with its highest honor – the Dean’s Cross for Servant Leadership in the Church and the World.”
The Seminary also apologized for prohibiting Canon Anderson from serving as a field education supervisor in 1981 after he came out as a gay man. He was not allowed to supervise seminarians due to the Seminary’s policy at that time that prevented “homosexuals from enrollment and holding teaching positions”.
“Virginia Theological Seminary acknowledges the pain and challenges Canon Anderson faced, including the discrimination and homophobia that came from the institution. VTS repents of these sins and humbly seeks his forgiveness for its role in these injustices.”
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D., dean and president of VTS, said: “This was a deeply moving occasion. Guests joined us from around the country because The Rev. Canon Jerry Anderson was such an important minister of the Gospel at a time of deep bewilderment and prejudice. VTS acknowledges our sin, and we commit afresh to a vision where all people can bring their gifts to ministry in The Episcopal Church.”
Established in 2008, the Dean’s Cross recognizes outstanding leaders who embody the baptismal vows to strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being. Recipients are selected annually by the Seminary’s dean and president, in consultation with the chair of the board. They receive a certificate and a handmade silver cross, modeled on the cross that stood on the steeple of the Seminary’s 1881 Chapel.
Previous recipients of the Dean’s Cross include former First Lady Barbara Bush, poet and novelist Wendell Berry, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham.
