27 Episcopalians ready to serve as missionaries through the Young Adult Service Corps program

Record number of applications reviewed

Posted Jun 17, 2015

[Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs press release] Twenty-seven young adults representing 21 Episcopal Church dioceses are serving as missionaries in the Young Adult Service Corps (YASC) for the 2015-2016 term in locales throughout the Anglican Communion.

“This year we witnessed the largest group ever of applications for positions as YASC missionaries,” said Bishop Stacy Sauls, Chief Operating Officer.   “A record 45 applications from 27 dioceses across all nine provinces in the Church were reviewed.  Of those, more than half have discerned to serve as YASC missionaries. We are proud of our YASC missionaries and of this remarkable achievement.”

YASC is a ministry of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society for Episcopal young adults, ages 21 – 30, who are interested in exploring their faith in new ways by living and serving in communities around the Anglican Communion.

Bishop Sauls noted that most of the YASC missionaries will provide ministry work in education, youth work, social services, community development, and agriculture. He noted that YASC missionaries will assist in expanding the relationship with the Mission to Seafarers, will support an existing diocese-to-diocese relationship (Virginia-Liverpool), and will support mission initiatives in the northern region of Haiti by partnering with Episcopal Volunteers in Mission who are serving in the area.

Each YASC missionary maintains a blog, detailing his/her service, reflections and adventures. Elizabeth Boe, Global Networking Officer for the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society and a former YASC missionary who served in Tanzania, said blogs provide an ideal avenue for connecting with the YASC missionaries.

Meet the YASC missionaries
The 27 YASC missionaries, their home dioceses, assignments and blog addresses are:

Thomas Balch, Diocese of West Virginia
Thomas is serving in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.  His blog is here.

Catherine Belous, Diocese of Virginia
Catherine is serving the Episcopal Church in the Philippines.  Her blog is here.

Mary Grace Benhase, Diocese of Georgia, Diocese of North Carolina, Diocese of Washington 
Mary Grace is serving the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui.  Her blog is here.

Eliza Brinkley, Diocese of North Carolina 
Eliza is serving in the Diocese of Haiti.  Her blog is here.

Andy Cameron, Diocese of Virginia
Andy is serving the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui.  His blog is here.

Naomi Cunningham, Diocese of Kansas 
Naomi is serving the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe.  Her blog is here.

James Fitzpatrick, Diocese of Hawaii 
James is serving in the Diocese of Panama.  His blog is here.

Alejandra García-González, Diocese of Delaware 
Alejandra is serving in the Diocese of Costa Rica.  Her blog is here.

Charles Graves IV, Diocese of Southern Ohio
Charles is serving the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe.  His blog is here.

James Guandique, Diocese of Los Angeles 
James is serving in the Diocese of El Salvador.  His blog is here.

Tim Hamlin, Diocese of New York
Tim is serving in the Diocese of Grahamstown, South Africa.  His blog is here.

Tristan Holmberg, Diocese of Kansas 
Tristan is serving the Episcopal Church in the Philippines.  His blog is here.

Annie Jacob, Diocese of Virginia 
Annie is serving in the Diocese of Liverpool, England.  Her blog is here.

Kayla Massey, Diocese of Upper South Carolina 
Kayla is returning for a second YASC year as the first Julia Chester Emery United Thank Offering YASC missionary. Her blog is here.

Rachel McDaniel, Diocese of West Tennessee 
Rachel is serving a second year in the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil. Her blog is here.

Jacob Nastruz, Diocese of Iowa 
Jacob is serving in the Diocese of Highveld, South Africa.  His blog is here.

Lacey Oliver, Diocese of Tennessee 
Lacey is serving the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.  Her blog is here.

Eric Panter, Diocese of Texas
Eric is serving the Episcopal Church in the Philippines.  His blog is here.

James Rose, Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, Diocese of Georgia 
James is serving in the Diocese of Kobe, Japan.  His blog is here.

Andy Russell, Diocese of Southern Virginia 
Andy is serving in the Diocese of Central Tanganyika, Tanzania.  His blog is here.

Paola Sánchez Figueroa, Diocese of Puerto Rico
Paola is serving the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe.  Her blog is here.

Ellen Sandin, Diocese of Los Angeles 
Ellen is serving in the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil. Her blog is here.

Rachel Schnabel, Diocese of Southwest Florida 
Rachel is serving in the Diocese of Brasília, Brazil.  Her blog is here.

Kate Snow, Diocese of Virginia
Kate is serving in the Diocese of Costa Rica.  Her blog is here.

Emilie Street, Diocese of Mississippi 
Emilie is serving in the Diocese of Honduras.  Her blog is here.

Bryan Vélez García, Diocese of Puerto Rico
Bryan is serving in the Diocese of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  His blog is here.

Elly Withers, Diocese of North Carolina 
Elly is serving in the Diocese of Panama.  Her blog is here.


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