Two young adults who have served as Integrity interns will be heading overseas in the months ahead. Alan Yarborough, who graduated from Clemson University with a degree in Economics last month, is off to Haiti with the Young Adult Service Corps. Jonathan York, a religion student at Duke University, is heading to Scotland in September to spend a semester at St. Andrew's University.
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| Alan Yarborough |
Yarborough,
who worked as an intern with us on various projects, also represented
Integrity at this year's Creating Change conference in Atlanta. He will
be doing economic and leadership development work in the area around
Cange, which has a special relationship with the Diocese of Upper South
Carolina. While at Clemson, Yarborough attended and worked as a campus
ministry peer at Holy Trinity Church, which has been doing missionary work in Haiti for over four decades.
"Alan
is a very bright, energetic and motivated young man who understands
both prophetic ministry and servant ministry. He sees the world and the
issues facing LGBT folks with new eyes that look for a vision of full
equality in both our church and society," said Province IV Coordinator Bruce Garner,
with whom Yarborough worked at Creating Change. "He is very clear about
who he is in the eyes of God and where he is being called to
participate in God’s ministry on earth. Giving of himself and his
talents is second nature to him. I see him in leadership positions in
the church in the near future and hopefully the church will have the
good sense to listen to his voice."
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| Jonathan York |
York attended General Convention 2012 as part of the Young Adult Festival (about which he wrote here),
and his eloquent testimony on several resolutions gained him national
attention. One woman, representing the opposing view on a particular
issue, began her rebuttal by calling York "a credit to your school." He
also served as an Integrity intern at Convention. He hopes to study
under the Right Rev. N. T. Wright, Ph.D., the former Bishop of Durham who is now Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at St. Andrew's.
"I
was so impressed by Jonathan's courage and confidence as he spoke at
General Convention hearings," said Integrity's President, the Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall. "He always spoke from his heart, and with
passion. Jonathan is a great leader and I look forward to seeing how
God uses and blesses him in the future."
In
September of 2012, Yarborough and York both were among a leadership
retreat in Pasadena, where we laid the plans for what became Integrity's
new mission, vision and strategic plan for the future.
Both men will be blogging about their experiences. You can follow Jonathan and Alan at their blogs. Integrity is very proud of them and hopes you will join us in praying for their endeavors.
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| Alan Yarborough |
To get to the Creating Change
conference, I took a quick drive down the road to Atlanta, GA, from
Clemson, SC, where I go to school. Having the conference in a Southern
city was a wonderful experience, proving that the South is home to a
significant component of the LGBT rights movement. I had the privilege
of staffing the Integrity booth in the exhibit hall, where you can find
booths for organizations of every kind, from welcoming church
organizations to lawyers offices.
The conference itself
is a wonderful space for LGBT activism and intersectional social
justice work, where attendees can choose from workshops on race, class,
immigration, religion, politics and more. The variety of people
attending the conference makes for an eclectic opportunity to converse
and problem solve in a safe and affirming environment with people and
organizations who are on the forefront of not only the LGBT rights
movement but every other social justice movement in the country.
So
many visitors to Integrity’s table expressed words of gratitude for
Integrity being one of those organizations on the forefront of equality.
One woman in particular spoke about Integrity’s tangible work for
transgender and gender nonconforming people. She said while many other
organizations include transgender in name only, Integrity takes action
on transgender rights.
Others who stopped by the table were
unfamiliar with Integrity and the work of welcoming and affirming
organizations. Many revealed their current lack of faith and the moment
when their church community turned them away. I believe that for many,
seeing the Episcopal Church present at Creating Change inspired a bit of
hope and reassurance.
Representing Integrity at
Creating Change meant standing on the shoulders of all of those past and
present who have done amazing work for LGBT rights. Representing
Integrity meant I received these expressions of thanks for the work of
so many, and I want to pass that thanksgiving on to all who are a part
this organization.
In this time of re-imagining for
Integrity, we will remain a leader in this work. Having experienced
success on a national level within the Episcopal Church, we can move
ahead in bolstering Integrity’s presence throughout every community,
like in my small home town, Clemson, South Carolina. We can move ahead
in our commitment to the trans community and in our intersectional work
across race, class and national origin.
Thanks greatly to Bishop Gene Robinson’s
attendance, the Episcopal Church had a large presence at the
conference. Integrity and the Episcopal Church emerged as leaders in
this movement years ago, and they are still at the front of the line
today. The change Integrity has inspired in our world, insisting that
all have a place at the table, makes me proud to be a gay man, a
Christian, and an Episcopalian.
- Alan Yarborough
Alan
Yarborough is a student at Clemson University, where he is a Peer
Minister at the Episcopal chaplaincy, the Canterbury Club. He was one
of several young adults who participated in Integrity's Leadership
Summit in Pasadena in autumn of 2012, and has also worked with us as a
research assistant and intern. Alan was joined at Creating Change by
Province IV Coordinator Bruce Garner. The Right Rev. V. Gene Robinson, Retired Bishop of New Hampshire, was presented with the Susan J. Hyde Award for Longevity in the Movement by the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force.
