New Multifaith Organization Forms to Support Partner Cities Initiatives

From The Examiner Gathered at the historic Antioch Baptist Church in downtown San Jose last week, a group of local religious leaders took another step towards creating a new multi-faith organization in the South Bay. The new effort will be called the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council and will involve people from the diverse religious communities of the South Bay in joint activities to build relationships, provide educational opportunities, and offer opportunities for cooperative action on behalf of the whole community of the South Bay. At last weeks’ meeting, those present heard presentations from the Rev. Carol Hovis, Director of the Marin Interfaith Council, and from Rabbi Jay Miller, Director of the Peninsula Clergy Network. They represented two significantly different models for interreligious organizations. Previously, the group had hosted the Rev. Brian Stein-Webber, Director of the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, and Michael Pappas, Director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council, who was accompanied by board members Rita Semel and Jim DeLange. Following an organizing meeting in May at the South Bay Islamic Association in San Jose, a planning team has been meeting regularly to work out the mission, objectives, and organizational structure of the Council. The twelve members of the planning team include Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Jewish, and Muslim participants along with people from Santa Clara University, Silicon Valley FACES, and the Santa Clara County Council of Churches. One of the objectives of the new group will be to act as a coordinating point for activities related to Silicon Valley’s status as a Partner City of the Parliament of the World’s Religions. Click here to read the entire article.