Meet Jöelle Kanyana, APF's New Treasurer — Adventist Peace Fellowship

The Adventist Peace Fellowship welcomes Jöelle Kanyana to the leadership team! She replaces Doug Morgan (APF co-founder and first director), who has fulfilled these duties since stepping down from the director position in 2011. Here Jeff Boyd (also a former APF director) and Karah Thompson (the current co-director along with Lisa Diller) interview Jöelle so our community can get to know her a bit.

Jeff Boyd: Welcome to the APF team as the new treasurer. What is your background in the area of finance?

Jöelle Kanyana: I work in the Financial Planning Department at AdventHealth Orlando for the Detail Budget Team.

Karah Thompson: What draws you to peace and justice work?

Jöelle: Firstly, peace and justice are pillars of my Biblical worldview. My parents did a wonderful job imparting that Biblical foundation. I did not have to embrace these ideals, but I chose because discovering the God in the pages of the Word meant discovering a God who imparts value and dignity to all of His Creation, a God whose mission is peace and whose law is justice.

Furthermore, my own identity as black, female, and an immigrant kind of forces me to be acutely aware of the narratives that create harmful hierarchies and the histories of exploitation that have greatly impacted certain demographics. At the same time, as a Christian, I am challenged to believe that reconciliation is possible, and I must be active in that work.

Jeff: It sounds like there could be layers of stories in what you just shared. Is there any theme here you’d be willing to unpack a little more for us—war, poverty, race, gender, immigrant status, or reconciliation, or their intersection?

Jöelle: There’s honestly so much to unpack, maybe too much for this interview. In a nutshell, once I discovered that no one exists in a bubble, that there are large narratives to navigate, I had to unlearn and relearn a lot.

Karah: What experiences have you had that helped you to see the need in your community or the world to exemplify peace or justice?

Jöelle: Before my own experiences, I learned about those of my family in Central Africa, whose nations have a while to go before recovering from the brutal effects of colonialism and continue to be plagued by poverty and tension. Additionally, we watched a lot of news. That alone is enough to illuminate the need for peace and justice. Finally, I had internships in nonprofit and government organizations that helped me to meet the faces behind the need.

Jeff: Would you be willing to tell us more about these internships? And how did they affect your skill set and perspectives?

Jöelle: Yes! For example, my first college internship was at the Mayor’s Office of Chattanooga. There, I learned that all the growth that my city was experiencing came with negative impacts to vulnerable populations. That’s when I learned about Fair Housing and Gentrification for the first time. During my year abroad, I did an internship with ADRA Collonges that taught me that the people in need are most likely those with whom you interact daily, like your classmates.

Karah & Jeff: It’s great to have you on the team!