Julia Madden (GTS MDiv '24) Ordained to the Priesthood
We are thrilled to announce that the Rev. Julia Madden, one of the first graduates of the seminary’s hybrid Master of Divinity (MDiv) program in 2024, was ordained to the priesthood on February 12, 2025, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Lincolnton, North Carolina. She is the first alumna of the hybrid MDiv program to be ordained to the presbyterate since the program’s launch in 2022.
The Rt. Rev. José McLoughlin, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina and a Trustee of both GTS and Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), presided over the ordination. The Very Rev. Michael DeLashmutt, Ph.D., Dean of the Chapel of the Good Shepherd and SVP of GTS, was honored to preach and serve as one of the presenters for Julia at for ordination. His sermon, incorporating messages of encouragement from several of Julia’s classmates, emphasized the urgent and compassionate nature of her ministry.
At the reception following the service, both Bishop McLoughlin and the newly ordained Mtr. Madden praised the formation she received through GTS’s hybrid MDiv program.
Her ordination marks a milestone for GTS’s hybrid MDiv program, which provides innovative theological education for students balancing ministry, work, and family life. The seminary celebrates this historic moment and looks forward to seeing the impact of Rev. Madden’s ministry in the Church and the wider world.