About the EPF Young Adult Presence
The Episcopal Peace Fellowship welcomes eight young adult fellows to their advocacy and formation program during General Convention. The experience is designed to bring activist young adults together to observe and participate in the work of General Convention. Hailing from across the United States and Haiti, the EPF team monitors legislation at Convention, testifying in front of legislative committees on peace and justice related issues. The fellows also blog daily about their experience and important resolutions. The Young Adult Presence gathers daily for reflection and conversation with program co-directors the Revs. Nicole Janelle and Valerie Bailey Fischer. Supported through the generosity of individual bishops and EPF members, the second Triennial gathering of the EPF Young Adult Presence seeks to empower a new generation of activist young adults working for peace and justice in the Episcopal Church and the world.
Bios
Nicole Janelle, Co-Director
I’m a priest currently serving as chaplain and vicar of St. Michael’s University Church and the Episcopal Campus Ministry at the University of California Santa Barbara. I first learned about EPF as a college student and participated in the first From Violence to Wholeness training sponsored by EPF during my time in seminary. I’m afraid that I’m bit of a GC junkie, having already attended three Conventions: my first (Denver) as a college student member of the now defunct higher ed group (ESMHE), my second (Minneapolis) as a lay deputy from the Diocese of Maine and my third (Columbus) as a member of the Committee on the Status of Women. I’m currently working with EPF and the Diocese of Haiti to support nonviolence trainings in Haiti for young adults and other professionals.
Valerie Bailey Fischer, Co-Director
I am a priest in the diocese of Massachusetts and currently I am serving as the chaplain at Framingham State College. I have been a chaplain at Framingham for five years with a wonderful group of students from a variety of Christian backgrounds and denominations. I was part of a group of chaplains and students that visited Israel/Palestine in 2008 and learned about the issues, especially in relation to Christians in Palestine and the plight of the Palestinian people. I also coordinate a spring break Urban Pilgrimage service/learning project in New York City, which a focus on homelessness. I am also the coordinator for campus ministry at Framingham. In this position, I oversee the other religious groups on campus and coordinate the interfaith programming. I will be stepping down from both of these positions this May to become the assistant rector of St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church in Sudbury, MA. I have attended two other general conventions (Minneapolis 2003 and Columbus 2006) and I am a member of the Standing Commission on Lifelong Christian Education and Formation.
Bradley McDonald
My name is Brad McDonald. I graduated in May 2009 from Michigan State University with a BA in International Relations. I am currently working at a county park and am on schedule to join Peace Corps March 2010. I am from the Lansing, Michigan area. I have spent the past four years as an active member of Canterbury MSU, the Episcopalian and Anglican ministry at MSU. I have traveled to 20 foreign countries, living in Russia summer of 2007 and in Belgium summer of 2008. I am excited to about participating in YAP because it will be a hands on experience in following and influencing the church’s stance on different peace and justice issues. My interest area is in international issues and relations and I believe that the Episcopal Church having a stance on these issues is important and I look forward to pursuing related resolutions.
Catherine Healy
Catherine Healy is a Chicago native who was teaching puppet-making classes when she heard the call to move to the great Northwest. In her current life as Missioner with Youth, Young Adults, and Higher Education for the Diocese of Oregon, she spends her days hanging out with amazing teenagers, navigating amazing liability policies, and working hard to do great big things on a somewhat limited program budget. Her passions include women’s rights, equality in education, and the boundless grace of God. Catherine lives in Portland with her partner and two cats.
Joseph Mathews
Joseph P. Mathews, OSL is a recent alumnus of Troy University in Troy, AL. He majored in history and minored in French. He is a postulant for the priesthood in the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast and will attend The General Theological Seminary starting in the fall. He is excited about being a part of EPF’s YAP because he looks forward to seeing the governance of the church and playing an active role in it, encouraging the baptized to “strive for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being.” He is relatively new to The Episcopal Church and really looks forward to seeing it work at the national level.
Jessie Smith
My name is Jessie Smith. I am an aspirant for holy orders from the Diocese of Olympia. I live and work as a Catholic Worker, keeping the works of mercy close to my heart and active in my life. My passion for social justice has taken the forms of; hospitality to the homeless, addicted and sick, non-violent civil resistance, and trying to further my own education while living a non-violent lifestyle. For fun I love to garden, protest, ride my bicycle or motorcycle and spend time in nature. God willing, I will be attending The Theological Seminary of the Southwest’s Masters of Divinity Program this fall.
Michelle Harvey
I am Michelle Harvey, and I graduated in 2004 with dual majors in Spanish & Religious Studies. I served a year post-graduation as an AmeriCorpsOregon and helped people apply for the Oregon Health PlanEpiscopalian all my life (and spent two summers working at our Diocesan Summer Camp), but have worked for the Catholic Church and the United Church of Christ. I currently work as a home visitor for families of children 0-5 years old that are at high risk of child abuse and neglect. At my church I helped start and now help lead a new service in Spanish, and our Easter Mass was one big bilingual service – our first ever and a HUGE success!! I am currently in the discernment process. I have great compassion for many peace and justice issues; I suppose my “primary” areas of focus revolve around human rights: poverty, immigration, trade agreements, global and universal health care, and war/genocide. I’m interested in interfaith work, emergent church, and discussions of radical theology over a proper communion of sacred Northwest microbrew. I enjoy running — I just finished my 2nd marathon this June and have taken up paddling with a local dragonboat team (I used to row in college). I am looking forward to participating in General Convention.
Anson Stewart
Anson Stewart is a senior pursuing a double major in Engineering and Urban Studies at Swarthmore College in Philadelphia. He chose to attend Swarthmore, founded as a Quaker college, for its emphasis on nonviolence and social justice, and his studies focus on ways the built environment can reinforce or challenge systems of oppression. Born and raised in Southern California, he is looking forward to being back home for General Convention. In Anaheim, Anson is especially interested in ways for the Church to further environmental justice on local and global levels. He is particularly excited about working to pass resolutions to counter global climate change and economic injustices. For the remainder of the summer, Anson will be working on greenrelay.org, an online project he established to help share stories of the environmental justice movement in Los Angeles and nationwide.
Nedgie Vixamar
My Name is Nedgie Vixamar and I was Born In Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, in 1984. I ‘ve been living here ever since. I graduated in business administration in June 2008. I work for Bureau Diocesain, the Diocesan office, as the Bishop’s administrative assistant for almost two years now. I was raise in an Episcopalian family and go to church at St James. I use to take piano and violon classes in the Episcopal Musical school, “Ecole Sainte Trinité”. I love music, travelling, meeting and working with new people, and I’m very positive.
Allison Vogelsong
From Royal Oak, MI, I’m an MSU International Relations senior and my enduring goal is to expand justice and peace discussions to include environmental well-being. I bring exuberance to all my experiences, and believe personal responsibility is necessary to promote cooperation and dialogue. I am helping found a housing cooperative, I bond with my community at monthly skill shares and think online networking is an asset to peace and justice. I just had my birthday during a family roadtrip here from Michigan and I anticipate this to be a wonderfully productive GC 2009.
