Faith Leader Profiles
- Rev. Tim Ahrens
- Rabbi Richard A. Block
- Kim Bobo
- Sister Simone Campbell, SSS
- Dr. Iva E. Carruthers
- Sister Joan Chittister
- Cantor Jack Chomsky
- Rev. Stephen Copley
- Pastor Chuck Currie
- Rev. Joseph A. Darby
- Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar
- Rev. Dr. Eric Elnes
- Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf
- Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes
- Rev. Dr. Welton Gaddy
- Greg Galluzzo
- Dr. David P. Gushee
- Susan Pace Hamill
- K. Hollyn Hollman
- Rev. Anne Howard
- Rev. Debra W. Haffner
- Dr. Shamim Ibrahim
- Dr. Nazir Khaja
- Rev. Jennifer Kottler
- Rev. Timothy McDonald
- Rev. Dr. Rudolph McKissick Jr.
- Rabbi Jonah Pesner
- Melissa Rogers
- Rev. Alexia Salvatierra
- Rabbi David Saperstein
- Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou
- Rabbi Gerald Serotta
- Rev. Dr. Paul H. Sherry
- Reverend William G. Sinkford
- Dr. Glen H. Stassen
- Amy Sullivan
- Rev. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, Ph.D.
- Rev. J. Brent Walker
- Rabbi Arthur Waskow
- James Winkler
Voicing Faith Media Bureau
The Voicing Faith Media Bureau reflects the diversity and breadth of the social justice faith movement. Media coverage must accurately reflect the broad spectrum of people of faith in America. To do so, media coverage of religion, politics, public policy and public life must include religious voices for justice and the common good.
The Voicing Faith Media Bureau connects reporters, producers, and other members of the media to faith leaders for justice and the common good. National, state and local clergy, organization leaders, academics, writers, activists and bloggers, representing the diversity of America’s faith traditions are all available for comment and interviews.
To arrange interviews with faith leaders in the Voicing Faith Media Bureau, please contact Katie Paris at 202-481-8147 (cell - 202-243-8289) or press@faithinpubliclife.org.
Working in collaboration with Sojourners on this initiative, Faith in Public Life is also pleased to promote Sojourner's Red Letter Christians.
Rev. Tim Ahrens
Senior Pastor, First Congregational Church (UCC)
- Columbus, Ohio
As senior minister of a growing church in Central Ohio, Rev. Ahrens is the founder of We Believe Ohio, a clergy-led movement dedicated to uniting diverse religious voices to achieve social justice.
Expertise: Religion and Politics in Ohio, Social Justice/ Poverty, more...
Rabbi Richard A. Block
Senior Rabbi, The Temple-Tifereth Israel
- Beachwood, Ohio
A past president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, Rabbi Block co-chaired the launch of We Believe Ohio – Cleveland, , a clergy-led movement dedicated to uniting diverse religious voices to achieve social justice.
Expertise: Religion and Politics in Ohio, Social Justice/ health care/ education, more...
Kim Bobo
Founder, Interfaith Worker Justice
- Chicago, IL
Founder and Executive Director of Interfaith Worker Justice, a national organization that educates, organizes and mobilizes the religious community to improve wages, benefits and conditions for workers.
Sister Simone Campbell, SSS
National Coordinator, NETWORK
- Washington, DC
A Sister of Social Service since 1964, Sister Campbell is the National Coordinator of NETWORK, a national Catholic social justice lobby.
Dr. Iva E. Carruthers
General Secretary, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference
- Chicago, Illinois
As head of the Proctor Conference, Dr. Carruthers shepherds efforts to strengthen the capacity of the African American faith community to address the social justice agenda in the Black church.
Sister Joan Chittister
Benedictine Sisters
- Erie, PA
A social psychologist, communications theorist, best selling author and well-known international lecturer, Sr. Chittister has been one of America's key visionary spiritual voices for more than thirty years. Sr. Chittister is dedicated to working for justice, peace and equality, especially for women — in the Church and in society.
Expertise: Peace and Justice, Role of Religion in Public Life, Women's Issues, more...
Cantor Jack Chomsky
Congregation Tifereth Israel
- Columbus, OH
Cantor Chomsky is a leader of We Believe Ohio, a movement of Ohio religious leaders dedicated to uniting diverse religious voices to achieve social justice. Cantor Chomsky also coordinates his conservative congregation’s Social Action programming.
Expertise: American Jewish community, Religion and Politics in Ohio, Social Justice/ Poverty, more...
Rev. Stephen Copley
Pastor, First United Methodist Church
Rev. Copley Chaired “Give Arkansas a Raise Now", an interfaith coalition of churches and community groups that succeeded in getting a bill signed into law to raise the minimum wage in Arkansas in 2006.
Pastor Chuck Currie
chuckcurrie.blogs.com
- Portland, OR
A pioneer of the progressive religious blogosphere, Pastor Currie has been recognized as one of the leading advocates for the homeless in Oregon.
Rev. Joseph A. Darby
Senior Pastor, Morris Brown AME Church
- Charleston, SC
A dynamic leader in the faith and civil rights communities in the South, Rev. Darby's congregation is the largest in the Seventh Episcopal District of the AME Church. Winner of numerous civic and professional awards, Darby is also the former first vice president of the S.C. Conference of Branches of the NAACP.
Expertise: Civil Rights, Economic Development, Education, more...
Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar
General Secretary, National Council of Churches
- Washington, DC
An ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar the current head of Common Cause, a non-partisan organization dedicated to citizenship and good government. Edgar is the former general secretary of the National Council of the Churches...
Expertise: Energy and the Environment, Health Care, Immigration, more...
Rev. Dr. Eric Elnes
Senior Pastor, Scottsdale Congregational UCC
- Scottsdale, AZ
As co-President of CrossWalk America, Rev. Dr. Eric Elnes stepped off on Easter day 2006 to lead a 2,500 mile walk from Phoenix, AZ to Washington, DC to promote compassion and inclusion.
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf
Imam, Masjid Al-Farah
- New York, NY
As the Imam of Masjid Al-Farah, a mosque in New York City twelve blocks from Ground Zero, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is founder and CEO of American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA) and The Cordoba Initiative, an inter-religious blueprint for improving relations between the Islamic World and United States.
Expertise: American Muslim life, Role of Religion in Public Life, more...
Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes
Senior Minister, The Riverside Church
- New York, NY
Recognized by Newsweek magazine as one of the 12 “most effective preachers" in the English-speaking world, Dr. Forbes is known as the preacher’s preacher because of his extensive preaching career and his charismatic style
Expertise: Interfaith dialogue and action, Role of Religion in Public Life, Social Justice/ Poverty, more...
Rev. Dr. Welton Gaddy
President, The Interfaith Alliance
- Washington, DC
Rev. Dr. Gaddy leads the national nonpartisan grassroots and educational organization The Interfaith Alliance, hosts State of Belief, a weekly radio show and serves as the Pastor for Preaching and Worship at Northminster (Baptist) Church in Monroe, Louisiana.
Greg Galluzzo
National Director, Gamiliel Foundation
- Chicago, IL
A former Jesuit priest, Galluzzo is the National Director of the Gamaliel Foundation, a community organizing network representing more than a million church-going people who work on campaigns for social justice.
Expertise: Faith-Based Community Organizing, Immigration, Worker rights and the minimum wage, more...
Dr. David P. Gushee
Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics, Mercer University
- Atlanta, GA
Dr. Gushee is one of the leading evangelical voices in the field of Christian ethics and cultural/political engagement. He has served for ten years at Union, a leading Baptist university, after three years on the faculty of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and three years on the staff of Evangelicals for Social Action.
Susan Pace Hamill
Professor, University of Alabama School of Law
- Tuscaloosa, AL
A tax-law professor with a Master of Theological Studies from an evangelical university, Professor Hamill's most recent scholarship criticizes the federal tax policy trends of the Bush Administration on faith-based moral grounds.
K. Hollyn Hollman
General Counsel, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
- Washington, DC
As General Counsel for the Baptist Joint Committee, Hollman assists the BJC further the Baptist heritage that champions the principle that religion must be neither advanced nor inhibited by government.
Expertise: Church-State Issues, Judicial Nominations, more...
Rev. Anne Howard
Executive Director, The Beatitudes Society.
- Santa Barbara, CA
The Rev. Howard is Executive Director of The Beatitudes Society, a national organization that resources and networks seminarians and divinity school students who are emerging articulate proponents of social justice and progressive Christianity.
Expertise: Emerging Leaders, more...
Rev. Debra W. Haffner
Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice and Healing
- Norwalk, Connecticut
Rev. Debra W. Haffner is the director of the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing, an ecumenical, a multifaith organization dedicated to advocating for sexual health, education, and justice in faith communities and society.
Expertise: HIV/AIDS, Religion and Sexuality, Women's Issues, more...
Dr. Shamim Ibrahim
Founder and President, Niswa
- Los Angeles, CA
As founder of Niswa (Arabic for ‘women’), Dr. Shamim Ibrahim is a clear and strong advocate on behalf of women’s rights and social justice within the South Asian immigrant community in California.
Expertise: American Muslim life, Education, Women's Issues, more...
Dr. Nazir Khaja
American Muslim Leader, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
A distinguished medical doctor and professor at UCLA, Dr. Khaja is known internationally as an American Muslim leader and peace activist and advocate.
Expertise: American Muslim life, Interfaith dialogue and action, more...
Rev. Jennifer Kottler
Deputy Director, Protestants for the Common Good
- Chicago, IL
As Deputy Director of Protestants for the Common Good, Rev. Kottler is dedicated to bringing an informed and strong Protestant voice to public life.
Expertise: Federal Budget Priorities, Government Ethics, Worker rights and the minimum wage, more...
Rev. Timothy McDonald
Pastor, First Iconium Baptist Church
- Atlanta, GA
Rev. McDonald is Founder of the African American Ministers Leadership Council, and current President of the African American Ministers In Action. He previously served as the full-time Assistant Pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church of Atlanta and three times as President of Concerned Black Clergy of Metro Atlanta.
Expertise: Church-State Issues, Civil Rights, more...
Rev. Dr. Rudolph McKissick Jr.
Senior Pastor, Bethel Baptist Institutional Church
- Jacksonville, FL
A national preacher and teacher, published writer and recording artist, Rev. Dr. McKissick is Senior Pastor of the 9,000-member Bethel Baptist Institutional Church.
Expertise: Religion, Politics, and the Black Church, Social Justice/ health care/ education, more...
Rabbi Jonah Pesner
Director, Just Congregations - Union for Reform Judaism
- Boston, MA
As co-chair of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization’s Affordable Care Today! Campaign, Rabbi Pesner led the successful effort that resulted in passage of a bill requiring heath insurance for nearly all Massachusetts residents.
Melissa Rogers
Visiting Professor, Wake Forest University Divinity School
- Falls Church, VA
Rogers is recognized by National Journal as one of the church-state experts "politicians will call on when they get serious about addressing an important public policy issue."
Expertise: Church-State Issues, Role of Religion in Public Life, more...
Rev. Alexia Salvatierra
Executive Director, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice
- Los Angeles, CA
An ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Rev. Salvatierra serves as the Executive Director of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice an organization of religious leaders who come together to support low-wage workers.
Expertise: Immigration, Poverty, Worker rights and the minimum wage, more...
Rabbi David Saperstein
Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
- Washington, DC
Described by The Washington Post as the “quintessential religious lobbyist on Capitol Hill," as Director of the RAC, Rabbi Saperstein represents the national Reform Jewish Movement to Congress and the Administration.
Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou
National Coordinator, Clergy and Laity Concerned about Iraq
- Harlem, NY
Considered one of most formidable religious leaders of his generation, Rev. Sekou leads Clergy and Laity Concerned about Iraq, the national interfaith coalition committed to peace and justice.
Expertise: Peace and Justice, Religion, race and politics, War in Iraq, more...
Rabbi Gerald Serotta
Co-Chair, Rabbis for Human Rights and Associate Rabbi, Temple Shalom
- Chevy Chase, MD
Rabbi Serotta served as the Campus Rabbi at The George Washington University, where he directed the Hillel Foundation for 20 years. Rabbi Serotta has worked at the vanguard of progressive Jewish movements for decades.
Rev. Dr. Paul H. Sherry
Campaign Coordinator, “Let Justice Roll" Living Wage Campaign
Rev. Sherry came out of retirement to serve as the Campaign Coordinator for “Let Justice Roll" Living Wage Campaign, a national anti-poverty mobilization effort.
Expertise: Social Justice/ Poverty, Worker rights and the minimum wage, more...
Reverend William G. Sinkford
President, Unitarian Universalist Association
- Boston, MA
Rev. William G. Sinkford is the elected president of the Unitarian Universalist Association. As UUA President, Sinkford's commitment to justice has inspired him to lead the Association's efforts on behalf of ending the genocide in Darfur, lobbying for immigrant rights, and advocating concrete steps to reverse global warming, among many other causes.
Dr. Glen H. Stassen
Professor, Fuller Theological Seminary
- Pasadena, CA
A Professor of Christian Ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary, an evangelical seminary in Pasadena, CA, Stassen specializes in just peacemaking theory, the new paradigm in Christian ethics on peace and war. He has also written extensively about the link between rising abortion rates and detrimental Bush econimic policies.
Amy Sullivan
Frequent commentator on religion and politics
An editor of The Washington Monthly, Sullivan has emerged as one of the leading experts on politics and religion.
Expertise: Democrats and Religion, General Politics, Media Coverage of Religion, more...
Rev. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, Ph.D.
President, Chicago Theological Seminary
The 11th president of Chicago Theological Seminary, Rev. Thistlethwaite is the author or editor of ten books and has been a translator for two different translations of the Bible.
Rev. J. Brent Walker
Executive Director, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
An ordained minister and a member of the Supreme Court Bar, Rev. Walker is the Executive Director of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, which works to further the Baptist heritage that champions the principle that religion must be neither advanced nor inhibited by government.
Rabbi Arthur Waskow
Director, The Shalom Center
Rabbi Waskow is considered one of the leading creators of theory, practice, and institutions for the movement for Jewish renewal.
Expertise: Energy and the Environment, Interfaith dialogue and action, Peace and Justice, more...
James Winkler
General Secretary, United Methodist General Board of Church & Society
Winkler serves as General Secretary of the General Board of Church & Society (GBCS), the international public policy and social justice agency of The United Methodist Church.
Expertise: Federal Budget Priorities, Peace and Justice, War in Iraq, more...
