As far as my research goes, I believe the Interfaith Council of Franklin County (ICFC) became a not-for-profit ecumenical corporation in November 1989 — 30 years ago. The by-laws were updated in 1991 with a stated purpose of a) creating a forum across religious lines where members can meet, discuss and reach out to each other, b) offering a focus for action toward social issues of common concern and c) fostering the opportunity for common public celebrations and remembrances. The bylaws remained the same until 2010, when a new mission statement was written similar to what we use today.
The current mission of the ICFC is “to honor the rich variety of religious and spiritual traditions of our community, and gather to create a mosaic that respects differences while reinforcing all that unites us. We accomplish this by gathering the community for dialogue, education, information sharing, celebration and social transformation. Our vision is to model greater understanding; speak out for justice and peace, especially for the vulnerable and defenseless; and dream, pray and work for the wise stewardship of the Earth and its resources.”
The Interfaith Council leadership team works with various faith communities and countywide organizations to plan monthly programs. Over the years, it has been our goal to address issues relevant to the community in that particular time in history. There have been programs on the opioid crisis, the Holocaust, homelessness, criminal justice, anti-Semitism, food insecurity, compassionate listening, climate change, housing, immigration and many more.
During these last two years, we have been attempting to interface more directly with other community organizations. Last September, there was a homeless community living outside on the Greenfield Common and we had the opportunity and the honor to support and advocate for this community. We continue to support both individuals and the larger issue of homelessness with our Housing Assistance Fund; our connection to ServiceNet, Community Action and the Salvation Army, our connection to Cathedral in the Light and our connection to members of the community with lived experience.
We continue to celebrate fall with a community harvest meal, which we used to called an Interfaith Thanksgiving but changed, knowing our indigenous neighbors historically recognized the harvest time as a time of thanksgiving, but not a time of Thanksgiving. In December, we will organize a community service for the celebration of life of those who have died. We continue to plan time to gather to listen to various traditions reflect on their spiritual practices and we will design an evening to recognize the creative contributions of local high school students through the spring Peacemaker Award event.
In a time when many religions are at war, each insisting that their God and their beliefs are better than another’s, it is a pleasure to be involved with the Interfaith Council of Franklin County. The council welcomes people of all traditions and the leadership team now represents Jews, Pagans, Spiritualists, Catholics, Protestants, Quakers and Unitarian Universalists. Our mailing list includes over 600 names and we assume that larger membership includes Buddhists and perhaps Muslims, too. We would love to see our leadership team include the full diversity of religions and traditions in our area.
To reach the Rev. Kate Stevens: songline50@aol.com