[Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs press release] Samuel McDonald, Episcopal Church Director of Mission and Deputy Chief Operating Officer, has announced the recipients of the one-year and two-year Justice and Advocacy Fellowships for social justice and advocacy work for The Episcopal Church.

The Justice and Advocacy Fellowships for Domestic Poverty and Environmental Stewardship, new initiatives of The Episcopal Church, will provide financial support for service, professional development and education to those who are engaged in poverty alleviation and environmental stewardship.

Focusing on the Anglican Marks of Mission Mark 4 and Mark 5, the 2014 Justice and Advocacy Fellowships are sponsored by the Episcopal Church Office of Justice and Advocacy Ministries.

The Domestic Poverty Fellowships
The Domestic Poverty Fellowships are one-year each at $24,000 and call for addressing domestic poverty in communities.

The Rev. Susan Heath of South Carolina and the Rev. Sarah Monroe of Washington were awarded the Domestic Poverty Fellowships.

Heath is sponsored by the Diocese of Upper South Carolina.  She wrote in her application: “South Carolina is plagued by generational domestic poverty.  Our public education system suffers in many parts of the state. My fellowship application theme is to address these ills by bringing the combined voices and action of Episcopal congregations along with other churches in the conversation.”

Monroe is sponsored by the Episcopal Network Collaboration (Episcopal Network for Economic Justice, Episcopal Ecological Network and Union of Black Episcopalians). She wrote in her application: “My focus will be on poverty in rural and working class communities, using Aberdeen, WA as a case study. I will focus specifically on rural homelessness, as it intersects with a post-industrial economy, indigenous struggle, high poverty rates and immigration.”

The Environmental Stewardship Fellowship
The Environmental Stewardship Fellowships are two-years each at $48,000 (over two years) and will provide leadership on key environmental issues in affected domestic communities.

Cynthia Coe of Tennessee and Sarah Nolan of California were awarded the Environmental Stewardship Fellowships

Coe is sponsored by the DuBose Conference Center, an Episcopal facility owned by the three Episcopal dioceses located in Tennessee.  She wrote in her application: “This fellowship will introduce environmental education to young people through summer camp activities. Leader training workshops will also be offered to share this program with other camps, schools and parishes.”

Nolan is sponsored by The Beecken Center at the School of Theology at Sewanee. She wrote in her application: “Through the intentional growth of an organizational eco-system, the Farm, Faith and Food initiative will provide nourishment through building relationships, disseminating resources and sharing stories rooted in agricultural and food based ministries of all shapes and sizes.”

The Justice and Advocacy Fellowships
A total of 33 applications were received.  The applications were reviewed by a seven-person committee of laity and clergy from throughout the Church who then made the granting recommendations.“We are pleased that the recipients of the Justice and Advocacy Fellowships for Domestic Poverty and Environmental Stewardship are well-versed in their areas and will focus on their mission and ministry,” explained the Rev. Canon E. Mark Stevenson, Domestic Poverty Missioner.

For more information contact Stevenson at Mstevenson@episcopalchurch.org or Jayce Hafner, Episcopal Church Domestic Policy Analyst, at jhafner@episcopalchurch.org.