MEET ALAN
Alan brings an unusual perspective to this work, having sought to bring clarity and direction into the labyrinth of Church institutions for more than thirty-five years, especially in his last two decades as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa. Healthy relationships between Church personnel, professional and volunteer, have their own particular challenges; and creating a team approach to a traditional hierarchical structure requires a high degree of chaordic patience. Human interactions, however, are the same across every type of institution and we are all in a liminal space in the twenty first century. Dignity and fulfilment are an integral part of every healthy collective human endeavor. Raised in Yorkshire, England, Alan earned M.A. and STM degrees from Oxford University and General Seminary in New York, where he also received an honorary doctorate. During postgraduate studies as a British Council and Patriarchal scholar in Ceaucescu’s Romania, he lived and worked among those fighting for religious freedom and human rights, a cause he assumed on return to the UK and later in the USA. As a former collegiate athlete, he continues to be a running enthusiast, been passionate about Manchester United since the age of five, and is avid about most sports.