In Memoriam: The Very Rev. Dr. Samuel T. Lloyd III

Together with all the saints in glory, we give thanks for the life and ministry of the Very Rev. Dr. Samuel T. Lloyd III, the ninth dean of Washington National Cathedral, who has entered eternal rest.

As dean of this Cathedral from 2005-2011, Sam Lloyd reflected the “generous-spirited Christianity” that was the hallmark of his preaching, and he provided a steady hand during a time of great challenge and turmoil in the Cathedral’s history. 

“The reality is that things go bad, sometimes terribly,” he said in 2009. “But those are also the times when God is at work with enormous vitality and creativity, making it possible for new things to emerge.” 

During his time in Washington, Sam celebrated the Cathedral’s centennial, launched a resident congregation that continues as the beating heart of our worship life, established the Cathedral as a premiere home for important civic conversations, and led us through the uncertainty of the 2011 earthquake. Throughout his ministry, he was widely regarded as one of the most effective preachers in the modern church.

Faced with a series of tough decisions following the Great Recession of 2009, Sam embodied a remarkable sense of grace, steady calm, kindness and generosity of spirit. When I inherited the enormous responsibilities of this job in 2016, he responded with an open hand and wise counsel.

Sam entered this office with a building that had recently been completed, yet he knew the true power of this place was in its role of “reminding us of who we are and giving us strength for the challenges we face.” Sam taught us that, yes, cathedrals are meant to inspire awe, but are only truly great if they can change hearts.

Our prayers are with his family and his wife Marguerite. In gratitude, we give thanks for the ways he strengthened this Cathedral and blessed the church. 

Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant Samuel. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.

The Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith
Dean, Washington National Cathedral