Welcome!
The Interfaith Relations Office seeks to support those in
the church who are interested in, concerned about or engaged in building interfaith
relationships. As Presbyterians learn about religious diversity, we reflect
theologically on our relations with neighbors of other faiths. We also seek avenues
for cooperation, or look for education resources and practical models for bringing
communities together. We hope you will find helpful information and resources
on this Web site.
Face to Face/Faith to Faith
Summer Intensive Begins June 28
Engaging across traditions and history in the Face to Face program. Photo by Patrick Andrade
In a troubled world, Auburn Seminary offers an important international multifaith youth leadership program, Face to Face/Faith to Faith.
Now in its eighth year, Face to Face equips 60 to 70 teens annually with the skills needed to address situations of conflict and violence with compassion and creativity. Participants hail from four countries or regions of the world: South Africa, Northern Ireland, the Middle East and the United States. They are Jews, Muslims and Christians whose diversity is further represented by the variety of interpretations each of them brings of their own faith and that of the other. This year-long program begins with a two-week summer intensive (June 28-July 12, 2009), held at the Holmes Presbyterian Camp and Conference Center in Holmes, New York.
The program's director, Manar Fawkhry said of the programs impact, "[the changes they experience] turn strangers and enemies into friends; indifference and ignorance into awareness and compassion; and pain and suffering into healing and reconciliation." Learn more.
Meet the Interfaith Team at Mission Celebration ‘09
Dr. Mary Mikhail and Dr. Muhammad Sammak will be in the United States October 19–31, 2009
 
In addition to visits at seminaries, Presbyterian colleges and church and mosque gatherings in a limited number of locations around the United States, this distinguished team will be featured at World Mission Celebration ‘09 in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 23-24. Find out more about the Mission Celebration. Download a brochure about this visit  or find out more about the Interfaith Listening Program.
Discover the Interfaith Youth Core
If you are not already aware of this exciting organization and the resources it has to offer, take time for a visit now! Millions of religious young people in the world are interacting with greater frequency. While so many of these interactions tend towards conflict, the Interfaith Youth Core promotes relationships based on mutual respect and built on shared values, such as hospitality and caring for the Earth, and ways we can live out those values together to contribute to the betterment of our community. The Interfaith Youth Core provides young people and the institutions that support them with leadership training, project resources and more. Visit the Youth Core’s Web site and look at the resources available there.
Explore the New Interfaith Tool Kit
This tool kit contains “how to do it” sorts of pieces and examples of what others have done as well as materials for study. To the good resources we have had, many new items have been added to help you get started, or think further about faithful work and witness with your neighbors. The kit has been designed to be flexible. Individual “tools” will be updated, or deleted if not found useful. As you tell us about new models of what Presbyterians are doing we will add those. All the “tools” in this kit are available to be printed from this Web site and to be used freely. Begin using the tool kit now.
The Rev. Deb Bergson-Graham, pastor of the Faith Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Wisconsin, describes the simple steps one church took into a new Christian-Muslim relationship. Read about this model.
Other resources of note
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