[Episcopal News Service — Salt Lake City] Steve Smith from the Diocese of California served for two years as a Young Adult Service Corps missionary in Grahamstown, South Africa, where he lived at the Mariya uMama weThemba Monastery and taught at Holy Cross School. Currently a student at Virginia Theological Seminary, Smith talks about the fruits of the YASC program and the importance of providing young Episcopalians with the opportunity to cross cultural boundaries, build partnerships, and engage in God’s mission in the world.

The Episcopal Church’s 78th General Convention is currently considering resolutions (A112 and A013) to commit to its ongoing support and development of the YASC and Episcopal Volunteers in Mission (EVIM) programs.

Through these programs, hundreds of Episcopal missionaries have chosen to embrace a life-changing experience of walking alongside a community often far removed – both geographically and culturally – from their own.

For further information about the missionary program, contact the Rev. David Copley, director for mission personnel, at dcopley@episcopalchurch.org. For further information about the YASC program, contact Elizabeth Boe, officer for global networking, at eboe@episcopalchurch.org.

ENS video stories highlighting the ministry of YASC missionaries are available below.

One young adult…and a Roman refugee center
One young adult…and a South African clinic
One young adult…and a provincial archives
One young adult…and a mission for migrant workers
One young adult…and a mission to seafarers