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Democratic Convention To Highlight Diverse Community Of Faith Leaders Working Toward Common Good

First-Ever Faith Caucus Meetings to be Held at Democratic Convention Invocators and Benedictors to Include Pastor Joel Hunter, Rabbi David Saperstein, Sister Catherine Pinkerton, Reverend Cynthia Hale, Archbishop Demetrios, Cameron Strang

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First-Ever Faith Caucus Meetings to be Held at Democratic Convention

 

Invocators and Benedictors to Include Pastor Joel Hunter, Rabbi David Saperstein, Sister Catherine Pinkerton, Reverend Cynthia Hale, Archbishop Demetrios, Cameron Strang

 

Plus Coloradans Polly Baca of Greeley, CO, Reverends Kang of Aurora, CO

 

Interfaith Gathering to Open Convention Week on Sunday, Aug. 24th, featuring Local Clergy Imam Abdur-Rahim Ali, Rabbi Steve Foster, Reverend Lucia Guzman, University of Colorado Student Kathryn Ida

 

DENVER – In keeping with Barack Obama’s personal commitment and the commitment of the Democratic Party to put faith in action, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) and the Obama for America campaign today announced that the 2008 Democratic National Convention will recognize the tireless efforts of those in the faith community working toward the common good.

 

"Senator Obama is a committed Christian, and he believes that people of all faiths have an important place in American life,” said Joshua Dubois, Obama For America Director of Religious Affairs. “He"s proud to work with the Democratic National Convention Committee on a Convention that fully engages people of faith in dialogue, celebration and prayer. We are honored that so many religious leaders are reaching across partisan and ideological lines in this Convention to address the values that matter to Americans."

 

“Democrats have been, are and will continue to be people of faith – and this Convention will demonstrate that in an unprecedented way,” said Leah D. Daughtry, CEO of the DNCC. “As Convention CEO and a pastor myself, I am incredibly proud that so many esteemed leaders from the faith community will be with us to celebrate this historic occasion and honor the diverse faith traditions inside the Democratic Party.”

 

Each night of the Convention, the official program will begin with an invocation and end with a benediction delivered by a national faith leader or an individual who is active in their local faith community. Among the group selected to deliver these opening and closing prayers are a Republican pastor of a leading Evangelical church in central Florida, a major young Evangelical leader, a nun from a diocese in Cleveland and a Methodist couple, both ordained ministers from Arvada, CO.

 

National leaders from a range of denominations will host the Convention’s first-ever Faith Caucus meetings during the week where they will discuss bringing people of faith together to address some of the most pressing issues of our time.

 

On Tuesday, August 26, the Faith Caucus will hold two panel discussions – “Common Ground on Common Good,” an opportunity to discuss finding common ground on the moral issues of the day, and “Faith in 2009: How an Obama Administration will Engage People of Faith.” On Thursday, August 28, the Caucus will convene for “Moral Values Issues Abroad,” a panel on how the faith community can work together to address pressing moral issues around the world, and “Getting Out the Faith Vote,” a session on how to appropriately engage communities of faith in the 2008 election.

 

In addition, a first-ever Democratic National Convention interfaith gathering will kick off the week, bringing delegates, elected officials, local residents, musical guests and spiritual leaders from many communities of faith together for a unique gathering. In addition to keynote remarks, the program will include readings from diverse religious texts, prayers and musical selections.

 

EVENING PROGRAM INVOCATIONS AND BENEDICTIONS

 

Monday, August 25

Invocation: Polly Baca, Catholic, Greeley, CO

Benediction: Cameron Strang, Evangelical, Orlando, FL

 

Tuesday, August 26

Invocation: Dr. Cynthia Hale, Disciples of Christ, Decatur, GA

Benediction: Revs. Jin Ho Kang and Young Sook Kang, Methodist, Aurora, CO

 

Wednesday, August 27

Invocation: Archbishop Demetrios, Greek Orthodox, New York, NY

Benediction: Sr. Catherine Pinkerton, Catholic, Cleveland, OH

 

Thursday, August 28

Invocation: Rabbi David Saperstein, Union for Reform Judaism, Washington, DC

Benediction: Pastor Joel Hunter, Evangelical, Northland, FL

 

FAITH CAUCUS MEETINGS

 

Tuesday, August 26

 

Common Ground on Common Good

Time: 12:00 PM MT

Location: Colorado Convention Center

Moderator: Rev. Jim Wallis

Panelists:

 

Dr. Douglas W. Kmiec

Rabbi Jack Moline

Rev. Jennifer Kottler

Bishop Wilfredo DeJesus

Rev. John Hunter

 

Faith in 2009: How an Obama Administration will Engage People of Faith

Time: 1:00 PM MT

Location: Colorado Convention Center

Moderator: Rev. Jim Wallis

Panelists:

 

Rabbi David Saperstein

Prof. John Dilulio

Rev. Otis Moss, Jr.

 

Thursday, August 28

 

Moral Values Issues Abroad

Time: 12:00 PM MT

Location: Colorado Convention Center

Moderator: Joshua Dubois, OFA Director of Religious Affairs

Panelists:

 

Dr. Preeta Bansal

Dr. David Gushee

Sr. Simone Campbell

Dr. Claude d’Estree

 

Getting Out the Faith Vote

Time: 1:00 PM MT

Location: Colorado Convention Center

Moderator: Joshua Dubois, OFA Director of Religious Affairs

Panelists:

 

Rev. Romal Tune

Mark Linton

Rev. C Welton Gaddy

Rev. Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner

Rabbi Steve Gutow

 

**Initial caucus program line-ups. Additional participants to be released.

 

INTERFAITH GATHERING

 

The interfaith gathering will be held at 2:00 pm MT, Sunday, August 24 at the Wells Fargo Theater, inside the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.

 

Bishop Charles E. Blake, Presiding Prelate of the Church of God In Christ, Inc. and pastor at the West Angeles Church of God in Christ; Dr. Ingrid Mattson, President of the Islamic Society of North America; social activist Sister Helen Prejean and Rabbi Tzvi Weinreb, Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union, will keynote the event. Musical selections will be performed by Grammy® award winning gospel artist Richard Smallwood & Vision, The Spirituals Project of Denver and The Trinity United Methodist Church Choir.

 

Along with remarks from Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Jr., members of the local clergy community will also be featured at the gathering. Imam Abdur-Rahim Ali of the Northeast Denver Islamic Center, Rabbi Steven Foster from Congregation Emmanuel, lifelong Democratic leader Polly Baca, human rights leader Reverend Lucia Guzman and Buddhist participant and University of Colorado Denver student Kathryn Ida will be part of the local faith community represented at the event.