Alan Yarborough of the Diocese of Western North Carolina has been named the 2016-2017 Intern for the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations and Virginia Theological Seminary Center for Anglican Communion Studies.

The first of its kind, this new internship reflects an innovative collaboration between the Episcopal Church and the Center for Anglican Communion Studies at Virginia Theological Seminary. Yarborough will be based in Washington, DC and will reside at Virginia Theological Seminary.  His focus and work will be with the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations, also located in Washington, and the Center for Anglican Communion Studies at Virginia Theological Seminary in nearby Alexandria, VA.

Previously Yarborough was a Young Adult Service Corps (YASC) volunteer in the Diocese of Haiti. YASC is a ministry 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.

In his new role, Yarborough will mainly be responsible for lifting up the work of the Episcopal Public Policy Network by engaging Episcopalians in advocacy. At the Center for Anglican Communion Studies, he will staff projects related to international and inter-cultural partnership reconciliation.

“I’m grateful to be continuing with the Episcopal Church after serving as a missionary in Haiti for the past three years,” Yarborough said. “I am excited about the diverse roles the Virginia Theological Seminary and the Office of Government Relations will involve that will allow me to apply what I have learned while living abroad. I’m also simply looking forward to assisting these amazing ministries in the work that they do.”

“Alan’s experience and dedication to work in our Church and throughout the Anglican Communion make him a natural for this internship,” the Rev. Canon Charles Robertson, Canon to the Presiding Bishop for Ministry Beyond the Episcopal Church, commented.

Acting Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary, the Rev. Melody Knowles Ph.D., said, “The Center for Anglican Communion Studies is an integral part of the mission of VTS. It helps us grow deep relationships across differences as we form leaders of the church. This internship is a great opportunity to further connect those relationships and opportunities with the wider church.” 

The Rev. Robert S. Heaney, Ph.D, D.Phil, Director of the Center for Anglican Communion Studies, commented, “VTS exists to form leaders for the Episcopal Church, Anglican Communion and wider Church. The team in the Center for Anglican Communion Studies is excited to welcome Alan as someone who embodies the relationships that define the Communion.”

The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations is responsible for bringing the policies of The Episcopal Church to Congress and the administration through the ministry of public policy advocacy. The actions, programs, and ministry of the Office of Government Relations are based entirely on policies approved by the Church meeting in General Convention or by the Executive Council.

Virginia Theological Seminary’s Center for Anglican Communion Studies exists to ‘promote and practice better community for the Anglican Communion.’ Within the larger vision of VTS, the Center has three imperatives that drive its program: reflect, resource, and reconcile. Vision and practices of reconciliation nourish the work the Center does in its inter-cultural, inter-theological, and inter-religious programming. See the Center’s video here. 

Yarborough begins his internship on September 6.