Virginia Theological Seminary: 'We are proud of our alumna Bishop Mariann Budde'

The Virginia Theological Seminary released a statement Friday in support of alumna Bishop Mariann Budde after she received conservative pushback for comments this week during the National Cathedral’s inaugural prayer service for President Trump.

“We are proud of our alumna Bishop Marianne Budde for her faithfulness to the Biblical witness. To ask a President to be merciful is in the tradition of the prophets of the Hebrew Bible,” Ian Markham, the school’s president and dean wrote in a Facebook post.

Budde spoke directly to Trump during the service, asking him to have “mercy” on the LGBTQ community and undocumented immigrants, which earned swift criticism from Republicans.

“While the overwhelming response VTS has received about her sermon has been positive, we have also received various complaints about our work because of her training in our Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry programs,” Markham added.

“To be clear, we teach the Gospel as reflected in Holy Scripture. We support and stand alongside our Bishop alumna.”

Budde said she’s had people “wish me dead” after the service but added that she respects differing opinions while standing by her statements to Trump.

“I have had people wish me dead. I’m not sure they have threatened to kill me, but they seemed to be pleased if I met my eternal destiny sooner, rather than later,” the Episcopalian bishop said during a Wednesday appearance on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow” show.

“And I would simply say, I was trying actually to encourage a different kind of conversation, that you can certainly disagree with me, you can disagree what I have said or did, but could we, as Americans and fellow children of God, speak to one another with respect? I would offer the same to you.”

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