Campus Life
Spiritual Life
Our Spiritual Approach:
Chatham Hall encourages spiritual reflection in all aspects of life on campus. Rather than emphasizing religious differences, we focus on what we have in common — our human spirituality — and encourage girls to participate in ways that are most meaningful to them.
Chatham Hall is committed to nurturing the spiritual life of girls in the spirit of the National Association of Episcopal Schools:
At Chatham Hall we are interested in nurturing the whole girl. We live this vision out by focusing on what unites us, our spirituality, rather than what divides us. We recognize that adolescence is a time of critical thinking where doubt and questioning are natural parts of a developing spirituality. As such, at Chatham Hall they are encouraged and met with possibilities rather than feared and suppressed.
NAES Mission Statement
As embodiments of the Christian faith, Episcopal schools are created to be communities that honor, celebrate and worship God as the center of life. They are created to be models of God’s love and grace. They are created to serve God in Christ in all persons, regardless of origin, background, ability, or religion. They are created to strive for justice and peace among all people and to respect the dignity of every human being.
Meet the Chaplain
Ned Edwards has spent 35 years engaging teenagers and adults in questions of meaning and purpose. He has served 4 churches as Senior Pastor, been the Chaplain and provided pastoral services for Miss Porter’s School, and been a frequent speaker in school chapels in New England. He has also served on two ethics boards for the protection of human subjects in research experiments at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, spent time studying Navajo spirituality, served as Chaplain on the freedom schooner Amistad, built houses for Habitat for Humanity, and has researched adolescent girls’ brain development and spirituality. The two questions he asks at the beginning of every Chapel, “Who are you? And Whose are you?” were originally spoken by the school’s spiritual ancestor, St. Francis of Assisi, and reflect the values and spirit of Chatham Hall.
Ned and his wife, Gwen Couch, English teacher and Chair of the Performing Arts Department, live on campus with their two Basset Hounds, Moxie and Otis. He loves playing guitar and ukulele, sailing, and working on his log cabin in Maine. Ned has a B.A in Religion and Psychology from the College of Wooster, an M.Div. in Philosophical Theology from Yale University, and a Doctor of Ministry in History and Sociology from Hartford Seminary.
An all girls boarding and day school in Southern Virginia, Chatham Hall prepares girls for college and for productive lives. Our innovative academic program offers Advanced Placement courses, global study and travel, as well as project based learning. Our athletic teams regularly compete at the State level and our exceptional riding program is nationally recognized. We foster the intellect and character of each student and, through our Honor Code, live in a community of trust. Grounded in its Episcopal heritage, the school welcomes students of all faiths and backgrounds.
800 Chatham Hall Circle | Chatham, VA 24531 | 434.432.2941 | admission@chathamhall.org
