AFEDJ welcomes three new trustees

Since its beginnings in 1988, American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ) has been blessed with trustees who generously share their talents, expertise, and passion for the Diocese of Jerusalem-owned schools, hospitals, and centers for children with disabilities across the West Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel. 

American Friends is pleased to welcome three new trustees whose terms began on June 1: Donald Crawshaw of Salisbury, CT; Bishop Anne Hodges-Copple, suffragan bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina; and Endicott Peabody III, of Scottsdale, Arizona. 

Donald Crawshaw is a life-long Anglican/Episcopalian. A lawyer with Sullivan & Cromwell’s Financial Services, Investment Management, Commodities, Futures & Derivatives, and Capital Markets Groups, he recently competed two terms as a director of Episcopal Charities of the Diocese of New York. An active member of both St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, and St. John’s Church, Salisbury, CT, he holds a MA in Biblical Studies from The General Theological Seminary. 

Crawshaw explained how his engagement with American Friends began. “I was introduced to the good work of AFEDJ in the Holy Land after being invited to events by a former trustee, Lorraine Reeder, and the Rev. Cn. John Peterson. I have been pleased to support the organization for many years.”

He added, “As someone with a keen interest in the Holy Land and its people – an interest strengthened by a five-day solo pilgrimage undertaken in 2015 – I am delighted to have the opportunity to further support the vital ministries of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem as a trustee of AFEDJ.”

Ordained to the priesthood in 1988 and consecrated as bishop in 2013, Bishop Anne Hodges-Copple has served in the Diocese of North Carolina throughout her ordained ministry. Prior to seminary she worked as a community organizer and as a director of a shelter for victims of domestic violence.  Before she was elected to the episcopate, Hodges-Copple was rector of St. Luke’s Church in Durham. A member of The Episcopal Church’s Executive Council, she also served as chair of the 79th General Convention Committee on Social Concerns. 

In in recent years, she has led pilgrimages to the Holy Land. She said, “My first pilgrimage to the Holy Land was in late 2004. I took a group of undergraduates from Duke University, and we traveled from the Negev to the Galilee under the auspices of St. George’s College. My experiences on that trip opened my eyes and my heart in ways I never imagined.” She added, “On my most recent pilgrimages with the Diocese of North Carolina, I have been introduced to some of the institutions of the Diocese of Jerusalem. I am excited to become more engaged with supporting the diocese through AFEDJ.”

Mr. Endicott Peabody III returns to the AFEDJ board after serving from 2014 to 2020, chairing the Development Committee, and representing AFEDJ at the Diocese of Jerusalem’s annual Majma gathering. Since his retirement from a career in banking and finance with Colorado National Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, and John Hancock, Peabody has led pilgrimages to the Holy Land and enjoys sharing his passion for the work of AFEDJ with everyone he meets.

“I am honored and humbled to return to the board of American Friends, especially now in the shadow of the recent fighting and human tragedy,” he said. “I have been a witness to American Friends providing a visible and tangible light of hope in a land that is often dark with despair. Our mission of “Building Hope in the Holy Land” is ever more urgent.”

With the welcome of new trustees comes the departure of four board members who completed two three-year terms at the end of May. Our gratitude goes to Robert Drumheller of Washington, D.C.; Christopher Hayes of San Francisco, CA; John Nasir of Tuscaloosa, AL; and Solomon Owayda of Arlington, MA. We’re thankful they will join the Trustee Alumni Council and continue to support the work and ministries of the Diocese of Jerusalem’s humanitarian ministries.