| Interfaith: Interaction, Education, Celebration, Transformation! |
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Chaplain Shumpert with Rabbi Steven Kushner of Temple Ner Tamid and Mr. Craig Drinkard ('02) of the WARIS Cultural Research and Development Center during the "One World, Many Faiths" Service of Remembrance and Hope, September 11 |
| The United States of America is a land of ethnic, cultural, racial and religious diversity. This diversity is healthy for our civic life. The hesitation of society, however, to embrace fully its increasing diversity threatens to shatter the fragile mosaic that is our nation. The Bloomfield College Interfaith Chaplaincy Team draws men and women with positions of responsibility within various religious groups to call to the believers in our respective traditions to affirm diversity in order to achieve the realization of community. |  |
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The Chaplain of Bloomfield College is responsible for organizing and maintaining an Interfaith Chaplaincy Team. Check this page often to learn of our progress! |
| Neither the varied circumstances and historical contingencies that have shaped us, nor the differences of color, ethnicity, cultural background, and religion among us, mitigate against the fact of our common humanity. This philosophical and scientific truth is reflected in our spiritual understandings, though our specific words and concepts describing it may differ. Let us affirm our common humanity and celebrate our diversity. |  |
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"The
ministry of hospitality
is a gift from
God. The early
Christians were first
known as 'the hospitable
people'. As we move toward
the future, the
racial-ethnic population
will grow by leaps and
bounds. Racial-ethnic ministry should
be our number-one
priority." --Rev. Dr. Fahed Abu-Akel, Moderator of the 214th General Assembly of the PC(USA) Dr. Abu-Akel is a Palestinian Arab Christian who emigrated to the United States in 1966 |
| Rev.
Susan
Andrews, the
first woman pastor
to serve as moderator
in the history
of the PC(USA), fielded
questions on
the issue of
gay and lesbian
ordination. She
said, “The church is wonderfully
human, and we’re all learning how to reach
out and include all God’s children.” Following
up on her response Andrews said, “By the grace
of God there’ll come a day when they’ll be
welcomed Rev.
Susan Andrews, Moderator of the 215th |
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