Celebrating John Wilson’s 26 Years of Service to Union Presbyterian Seminary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact:

Cory Schutter

(804) 278-4279

news@upsem.edu 

RICHMOND, Va. — After more than 26 years of service, John Wilson, director of Information Technology, will retire from Union Presbyterian Seminary on September 4, 2026. 

John’s connection to the seminary began long before his employment. He grew up Presbyterian just three miles from the Richmond campus and spent time here as a boy with church youth leaders who lived on campus. While discerning a possible call to pastoral ministry in college, he returned for a program then known as “Seminary for a Weekend.” 

God ultimately led him in a different direction—or so it initially appeared. 

“I did not expect to be called back to this campus at age 39 for ‘Seminary for 26 Years’ to serve as director of technology,” Wilson said. 

John joined the seminary in 2000 and has guided its technology through decades of extraordinary change. In more recent years, he helped lead the adoption of a new student information system and learning management system, along with upgrades to classroom technology, while continuing to support the seminary’s daily operations. 

“John carried the history of how things have been done and why they changed, and that institutional memory is something we’ll miss,” said Shawn Oliver, vice president for Strategy and Institutional Effectiveness and John’s supervisor. “What colleagues remember most, though, is John himself: always responsive, always willing to help, always with a smile.” 

For John, however, the work was never simply about technology. 

“Even though my expertise has been with technology, my heart has always been to serve the people using it,” he said. “My memories of the seminary community are many, and the best ones will always be of the wonderful people—students, staff, and faculty—I have had the honor and privilege of working, learning, and serving alongside.” 

That spirit of service has shaped the way colleagues experienced John’s work. Dr. Samuel L. Adams, Mary Jane and John F. McNair Professor of Old Testament, describes John’s longstanding contribution as an essential ministry to the seminary. 

“John Wilson has been a servant leader at Union Presbyterian Seminary for decades,” Adams said. “He has managed our technology with expertise and kindness. He does not seek attention and works at all hours to make sure the seminary systems are running properly. His respect for students, faculty, and staff is a model.” 

Over the years, John has been known for his prompt and friendly assistance, sometimes arriving with bags of candy to refill jars across campus. Whether he was using his height to help set up the campus Christmas tree, walking the quad with colleagues, or helping students with technology questions, people could count on him to offer a helping hand and a friendly presence. 

Some of John’s favorite memories are of conversations with students about the unexpected and sometimes difficult circumstances through which they felt called to ministry. Their willingness to put familiar parts of their lives on pause to prepare for service to Christ and the church continually inspired him. Helping them repair a computer or recover a nearly lost assignment, he said, was one small gift he could offer in return. 

In retirement, John looks forward to spending more time with his wife, children, and grandsons—and to answering a new call. 

“In the next chapter of my life, God is calling me to a very different ministry,” he said. “I will be serving people more, and computers less. I’m not leaving campus with a degree, but Union Presbyterian Seminary is launching me into ministry just the same.” 

The seminary community will celebrate his retirement with a luncheon in late August. Union Presbyterian Seminary gives thanks for John’s 26 years of faithful service, for the friendships he formed across generations of students, faculty, and staff, and for the many ways he supported the daily life and ministry of the seminary. We wish him abundant joy and every blessing in the years ahead. 

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About Union Presbyterian Seminary 

Union Presbyterian Seminary prepares people to be leaders of gospel-inspired transformative change in pursuit of a more just and compassionate world. With campuses in Richmond, Virginia, and Charlotte, North Carolina, the seminary has prepared leaders for ministry since 1812 through rigorous theological education that is scholarly, pastoral, and engaged with contemporary life. Offering a range of degree programs, Union is home to distinguished faculty, a historic campus with one of the nation’s finest theological libraries, and a vibrant community of worship, service, and fellowship. Graduates serve as pastors, educators, chaplains, mission workers, and scholars, carrying forward the seminary’s long tradition of equipping leaders for the church and the world. Learn more at upsem.edu.