John Hanford

John Van Hanford III (born c. 1954) was United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom from 2002 to 2009. As ambassador, Hanford led the Office of International Religious Freedom at the United States Department of State.

The Office of International Religious Freedom and position of Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom were created under the provisions of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. Hanford was the second ambassador. He was appointed to the post in May 2002 by President George W. Bush and served until 2009.

Hanford is from Salisbury, North Carolina and is a nephew of Elizabeth Hanford Dole.

He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a John Motley Morehead Scholarship and earned his Bachelor of Arts in economics. He graduated from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity.

After receiving his MDiv from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts, where he also served as president of the student body, Hanford worked in pastoral ministry on the staff of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia. He served under Dr. Timothy Keller (now best-selling author and pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City), and lived with the Keller family.

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