Interfaith Action annually recognizes PRIDE month in June with a program on Faith and PRIDE, exploring current realities for LGBTQ persons on the intersection with faith. This year’s program focused on a discussion with 5 openly gay and lesbian individuals who hold elected office or are candidates for elected office in SW Michigan. Participants in the discussion are: - Dave Bunte, Supervisor for Chikaming Township - Brook Thomas, Mayor, City of St. Joseph - John Bonkoske, Member, City of Bridgman City Council - Janet Henderson, Candidate for Berrien County Board of Commissioners - Jessica Jackson, Candidate for Berrien County Clerk. Panelists discussed the following questions: 1. What motivated you to seek political office? 2. How does your gender identity/sexual orientation influence your perspective on social policy - if at all? 3. Given threats to policies and practices of inclusion, how do you counter hate speech or discriminatory rhetoric — has your faith background influenced you negatively or positively - if relevant at all? 4. What do you see as primary threats to pluralistic democracy?
Each May, the U. S., along with many local communities, hosts a National Day of Prayer event. These are typically Christian in nature. Interfaith Action commemorates the National Day of Prayer with prayers from different religious traditions. The podcast includes the announcement of the annual Leader for the Common Good award, granted to an elected or appointed individual who has advanced the common good of all Michiganders on a statewide or regional level. This year’s award goes to Michigan State House Representative Joey Andrews. We invite you to listen to these prayers for our nation and an interview by Gene Schoon, Interfaith Action’s Policy and Justice Coordinator, with Representative Andrews.
Our guest speaker is Rev. Dr. Gary Mason, a Methodist minister and founder and director of the Belfast-based "Rethinking Conflict” organization. Prior to this, he spent 27 years as a Methodist clergy person in parish ministry in Belfast. Gary played an integral role in the Northern Irish peace process, and was instrumental in facilitating negotiations with paramilitaries and government officials. In 2007, his contribution was formally recognised by Queen Elizabeth II. Mason has lectured throughout Europe, South Africa, the Middle East and USA, and advises the Biden Administration on implementing The Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act (MEPPA) of 2020, which focuses on strengthening civil society and developing grassroots peace building in the Israeli/Palestinian arena. Gary is also an affiliated expert and partner to the Negotiation Strategies Institute, a Harvard University program on negotiation for Israelis and Palestinians and international diplomats.
This program will feature discussions with persons familiar with on the ground realities. Presenters will include a Christian Palestinian, a Muslim Palestinian and a representative from Jewish Voices for Peace. These grassroots voices will provide unique perspectives for a fuller understanding of the current Israel-Gaza conflict.
Our guest speaker for this program is Daniel Maté, an acclaimed composer, lyricist, and playwright for musical theater based in Brooklyn, New York. Maté, whose great grandparents died at Auschwitz, has been prolific on social media since the war on Gaza began. He has 33.4K followers on Instagram, 10.3 subscribers on YouTube, and 2.2K followers on X (formerly Twitter). Outside of music, theater and activism, Maté runs the world’s only “mental chiropractic” service, Take A Walk With Daniel. His passion is to help people access their own innate crystal clarity and true intelligence by getting their minds aligned. With his father Dr. Gabor Maté, renowned expert on trauma, addiction and stress, Maté co-authored the New York Times bestseller The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture. Maté graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with an M.F.A. in Musical Theatre Writing. He also holds a B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy from McGill.