
Local Groups which promote Interfaith Dialog
Groups, associations, seminaries...

Sponsored link.

Local Interfaith Groups:There are probably dozens if not hundreds of community interfaith groups in
North America. However, they are difficult to locate and study because
they tend to be only known locally. Some do not have Web pages or
advertise outside of their community. Some are:
The Earth & Spirit Council of Portland OR was created in 1991 as an
inter-faith group of environmental and spiritual leaders who are dedicated to "reawakening
human beings' spiritual connection to the Earth." 1 They sponsor an annual Multicultural Interfaith Earth Day Celebration in Portland OR. This is synchronized with Earth Day, a worldwide celebration
held at the time of the Spring Equinox, typically APR-21. By 1999, the
celebration has grown to include about 70 groups and individuals. Ananda Marga,
Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Eckankar, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Native American,
Scientology Sikh, and Sufi traditions were represented. Their registration fee
was two cans of food for the Oregon food bank. 2 Associations, projects, faith groups, e-zine, etc:
 |
The Order of Universal Interfaith (OUnI) provides an
"... ecclesiastical home for interfaith and interspiritual men and women from all faith paths,
cultures and ethnic groups. Â All individuals who pledge to The Order receive canonical
stature based on education and training. Â The categories of service include ordained
Interfaith (Interspiritual) Cleric and Minister, Celebrant, Aspirant, 'Wisdom Keeper' from
other traditions, and Wayfayers (laity)."
"The clergy come from the world's interfaith, multifaith, and interspiritual seminaries. With
demonstrated life practices some clergy come from single-path seminaries and programs
which have been supplemented by other training and education. Â All clergy are called to a
path of service to all people in activities such as hospital, hospice, education, community
and government service and administration."
15
|
 |
The Council of Interfaith Congregations of the United States (CIC-USA) is a:
democratic religious association of independently-organized interfaith, multifaith, and interspiritual congregations,
communities, and seminaries throughout the United States. 16
They maintain a membership page listing interfaith-multifaith-interspiritual groups in the U.S. 17
|
 |
The World Council of Interfaith Congregations (WCIC): In 2009-SEP, the CIC-USA, the Open International Interfaith Ministries (OIIM) of Canada and the latter's seminary iNtuituve Times Institute joined in a cooperative effort to form this international body of interfaith congregations. 18
|
 |
The North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) is a non-profit network of more than 60
interfaith organizations and agencies in Canada, Mexico and the United States. These include local, national and
international interfaith groups as well as the interfaith offices of various
denominations. They hold annual "Connects" (conferences) and publish an online newspaper, the NAINews. 5
|
 |
The Encounter World Religions Centre is based in Guelph, ON
Canada. 3 Their slogan is "celebrating diversity ~
affirming unity ~ pursuing peace." They are "dedicated to educating
people about the world's great wisdom traditions through experiential
learning." Since the group was founded in the late 1990s, 50,000
students and adults from the U.S. and Canada have taken part in the Centre's programs. An 2003-FEB article in the Toronto Star described
an encounter by a group of students -- most from Christian universities in
Canada, Nebraska and Iowa. They experienced a Wiccan girl's coming of age ritual, a sweetgrass ceremony at a First Nations group, and services at Bah'ai, Buddhist (Pure
Land and Zen), Charismatic Christian, Hare Krishna, Hindu, Islamic (Sunni, Shi'i, Sufi), Jewish (Reform, Conservative), Orthodox Catholic, Quaker, Roman Catholic, Sikh, Zoroastrian faith groups. They also heard a lecture by a Humanist, who challenged the
students' belief in God, and from a Taoist. "Participants
receive classes first, then visit the locations to speak with a
practitioner to have a face to face experience and hear a first hand
description of the tradition and the personâs own story. They...attend a
service wherever possible." 5
4
|
 |
EDUCATION as Transformation Project: Religious Pluralism,
Spirituality, and Higher Education is a project of the Office of
Religious and Spiritual Life of Wellesley College, Wellesley MA. The
project is starting a dialog about religious pluralism within institutes of higher
education. 7 They have involved local groups at over 250
colleges and universities in this multi-year project. 8 They address such topics as:
-
The response of educational institutions to increasing in religious
diversity on their campuses,
- Spiritual content of university and college courses
-
Links between "student values, moral and ethical development,
experiential education, health and wellness, and community service."
|
Sponsored link:

Interfaith Seminaries:Local interfaith dialog is often directly provided and/or organized by interfaith
clergy. These are often graduates of interfaith seminaries - a new type of religious
educational institution that have been founded since the early 1990s. They deliver a
multi-faith theological education to students who come from a variety of faith traditions.
Faculty are typically clergy from a number of religions and denominations. Their graduates
are trained in conducting religious services, marriages and funerals, providing spiritual
counseling, providing mediation services, and ministering to the interfaith needs of their
community in a variety of ways: health care, counseling, education, etc. Some are:
|
|
 |
Interfaith Seminary of Santa Cruz (CA): "It
is modeled on ancient schools of wisdom where in depth training and experience were
imparted through personal association." It was founded by Rev. Aaron Zerah in
1995. Their motto is "Always in Addition...Never Instead of." The
seminary "cherishes and includes all the world’s religions and spiritual
traditions, as we say, 'from Aboriginal to Zorastrianism.' " 11
|
 |
Interfaith Theological Seminary (AZ): It provides "the
contemplative atmosphere of the monastic setting in a modern, interfaith context...[The]
Seminary is modeled on the classical ideal in which study of sacred texts and the
transmission of spiritual practices are imparted through personal mentoring by those who
have lived deeply the meditative life." They offer a two year program which
includes the training and ordination of interfaith ministers in "an integrative
program of academic study, contemplative practice, and community service." They
recognize four ministries: spiritual caregiving, spiritual guidance and education,
traditional hearing, and peace. 12
|
 |
Lighthaven Interfaith Seminary honors "the sacredness and uniqueness of each faith, and then creates
ways by which the many paths can meet on common ground... [They] honor Interfaith as a means of uniting two or more
spiritual paths in the context of a purposeful, sacred union....[They] honor Interfaith as a path that speaks to
those who are searching for spiritual and religious alternatives." 13
|
 |
New Seminary: This institute was founded in 1981. Its graduates
are ordained as Interfaith Ministers and Spiritual Counselors. 14
|
 References used:The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above
essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.
- Nancy Haught, "Earth works," The Oregonian, 1999-APR-21
describes the Earth and Spirit Council events at: http://www.oregonlive.com/outdoors/99/04/ou042101en.html
- "Earth & Spirit's" web page is at: http://www.earthandspirit.org/
- Encounter World Religions is at: http://www.worldreligions.ca/
- Leslie Scrivener, "Encountering other faiths: Christian college
students from American Midwest come to Toronto to explore different religions,"
Toronto Star, 2003-FEB-15, Page K14.
- North American Interfaith Network at: http://www.nain.org/
- J.W. Windland, Encounter World Religions Centre.
E-mail.
- The term "pluralism" is ambiguous. Here is
seems to be used to refer to religious diversity.
- The Education as Transformation Project: Religious Pluralism, Spirituality and
Higher Education" is at: http://www.wellesley.edu/RelLife/project/
- The American Indian Movement has a web site at: http://www.dickshovel.com/AIMIntro.html
- Accuracy in Media has a web site at: http://www.aim.org/
- Interfaith Seminary of Santa Cruz, CA at: http://prayer.got.net/prayinterfaith.html
- Interfaith Theological Seminary at: http://www.azstarnet.com/nonprofit/ifts/
- Lighthaven Interfaith Seminary at: http://www.lighthaven.to/
- The New Seminary at: http://www.newseminary.org/
-
The Order of Universal Interfaith at: http://www.ouni.org/
-
Council of Interfaith Congregations of the United States at: http://www.ouni.org/cicus/
-
Membership list of the CIC at: http://www.ouni.org/cicus/
-
World Council of Interfaith Congregations at: http://www.ouni.org/cicus/

Copyright © 1999 to 2010 by Ontario Consultants
on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2010-MAY-01
Author: B.A. Robinson 
Sponsored link

|