Nearly 150 faith-based communicators gathered in person in Salt Lake City and online in late April for the annual meeting of the Religion Communicators Council.
Elder Matthew S. Holland, a General Authority Seventy, spoke during the opening session.
“I think there’s lots of reason today to be very optimistic about what’s ahead for us and for people of faith and for religion,” he said.
The nearly 100-year-old council is a professional association involving public relations officers, journalists, students and others.
During the three-day convention, the religion communicators took part in panel discussions and workshops on how to work collaboratively with those of other faiths and how to tell positive stories of faith in the media.
They also toured the Bishops’ Central Storehouse and participated in a humanitarian project on Friday, April 25, packaging 280 meals for families in need.
Ryan Koch is a Latter-day Saint and the new president of the council.
“I really want to highlight the strength that comes when we work together with people of other faith that not only when we work with others of different faiths, but that our reach expands, our network expands, and we have greater impact as a community than we do alone,” he said in a news release posted on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
The event was one of many interfaith gatherings in March and April, when local Church members and leaders around the world took part in multiple interfaith events and council meetings, as well as gatherings and dinners for Easter, Ramadan and Passover.
Ramadan, Passover dinners in the U.S.
Each year Ramadan is observed by Muslims worldwide with daily fasting and communal prayer. The meal held after sunset each day during the month of Ramadan is called iftar.
In March, Church leaders and members of the Church’s Chicago, Illinois, area communication council strengthened ties with the Muslim community by participating in several iftar dinners throughout Ramadan sponsored by local Islamic organizations.
In addition, Schaumburg Illinois Stake President Brent K. Smith and his wife, Amy Smith, were invited to iftar at a mosque along with other Christian groups.
A seder is a traditional Jewish ritual meal held during Passover. On March 19, an annual seder organized by the American Jewish Committee in Chicago drew 150 people of many faiths to Anshe Emet Synagogue to share a meal and the story of Passover.
Among the participants were 13 local Church leaders from the Church’s Chicago area communication council. The council’s connection with the committee’s board goes back many years.
In late March, representatives from the Atlanta Georgia Stake participated in the annual Unity Seder hosted by Temple Emanu-El of Atlanta and the American Jewish Committee’s Atlanta office.
Stake president Peter E. Bennion and other faith leaders and clergy offered remarks, and his second counselor, President Ryan D. Cortez, was invited to participate as a reader of one section of the Passover Haggadah.
In April, members of the Raleigh North Carolina South Stake took part in a Passover seder with the Jewish Federation of Greater Raleigh. The event included people from a variety of faiths, including Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu and Christian.
Interfaith iftar in Australia
On April 10, members of the Church in Sydney, Australia, hosted an iftar celebration with 140 guests from a variety of organizations and religions.
The iftar dinner in Sydney included representatives from New South Wales Parliament, Australian Federal and New South Wales Police Forces, local schools, religious and ethnic organizations, charities and local businesses, reported the Church’s Australia Newsroom.
Shazia Bano, of the Fijian Muslim community shared, “This type of activity should be done more often so people can come together to bring greater peace and harmony to spread love.”
Iftar in Italy
On March 22, the Church hosted Muslim friends and neighbors at an iftar at a Latter-day Saint meetinghouse in Pordenone, Italy, for the second consecutive year.
The evening was “a time of deep sharing, where food, stories and values were intertwined in an authentic dialogue between communities, associations and people united by the same spirit of welcome and respect,” explained the Church’s Italy Newsroom.
Ramadan meal in Malaysia
On March 15, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Christian faiths came together for a multifaith “Buka Puasa” or break fast event for Ramadan in Jalan Puchong, Malaysia. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Malaysia sponsored the evening meal as a part of the Interfaith Spiritual Fellowship.
As part of the event, gifts were given to children in need, reported the Church’s Malaysia Newsroom.
Kuala Lumpur Malaysia District President K. Richard Ho spoke about how many religions share the tradition of fasting and encourage donations and offerings to bless others.
“May we respect each other as friends and as allies in the work of helping those who suffer and are in need,” he said.
Interfaith gratitude in South Pacific
On April 13, the Church and other Christian denominations in the Cook Islands gathered at the National Auditorium to thank God for protection after the cyclone season.
The different churches have formed a tradition of praying as a nation at the beginning of each cyclone season, and at the close of the season. These national gatherings include sacred music, sermons and prayer, reported the Church’s Pacific Newsroom.
Avarua Cook Islands District President Thomas Willie said he felt humbled to stand with fellow faith leaders in expressing thanks to God.
He said the evening “was a powerful reminder that we are all children of God. No matter our differences, when we come together in gratitude, His Spirit can be felt in a powerful way.”
Religious assemblies in Europe and Asia
Representatives from the Church attended a meeting of the Assembly of Representatives of Religious Associations Registered in Kazakhstan on March 11. The participants discussed current issues of interaction between the state and religious organizations, strengthening traditional values and maintaining spiritual harmony in society, reported the Church’s Kazakhstan Newsroom.
The speakers said the interreligious meetings contribute to deepening mutual understanding and strengthening the spiritual unity of the people of the Eurasian country.
In Germany, the 39th German Protestant Church Congress is taking place in Hanover from April 30 to May 4.
Local Latter-day Saints are offering hospitality to those gathering, and Elder Niels O. Jensen, an Area Seventy in the Europe Central Area, sent greetings on behalf of the Church to all those praying, discussing and celebrating together.
“Many people are uncertain and fearful. May new paths of hope emerge from encounters and from the mutual reassurance of faith in Jesus Christ,” Elder Jensen said. “Our prayers are with all who gather in Hanover. May it be a peaceful and encouraging celebration of faith.”
The Hannover Germany Stake is a member of the local Council of Religions and supports the work of the House of Religions.
Traditions of Easter in Peru
An interfaith event called “Religious Traditions of Easter” was held during Holy Week on Tuesday, April 15, in Lima, Peru. Representatives of multiple faiths spoke about how they celebrate Easter and how they carry out their faith.
Elder Daniel A. Cruzado, an Area Seventy, welcomed the meeting, while Monsignor Salvador Piñeiro, president of the Interreligious Council of Peru, closed the event by emphasizing religious unity: “We believers are united and for more than three decades we have been meeting to proclaim our trust and build a Peru of brothers.”
The interfaith celebration was a unique opportunity for the general public to discover the spiritual richness that exists in Peru and to participate in a space of encounter, dialogue, and respect, reported the Church’s Peru Newsroom.
An interfaith youth camp and prayer meeting were held in the Philippines in February and March. Read about those events in the Church News here.
