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Interfaith interface II
04147
March 24, 2004

INTERFAITH INTERFACE II

PC(USA) will repeat experiment in Christian-Muslim dialogue

by Evan Silverstein

LOUISVILLE - Acting on the belief that listening can promote better
understanding, Christian and Muslim leaders from around the world will once
again visit the United States to meet with Presbyterians and others through
the Interfaith Listening Project (http://www.pcusa.org/listeningproject/).

The program, which promotes face-to-face dialogue between Christians and
Muslims about living together in today's world, was created by the
Presbyterian Church (USA) two years ago as an experiment in fostering mutual
understanding and respect between Christians and Muslims.

"There was a lot of excitement in response to the first visits, and a desire
to have more," said the Rev. Jay T. Rock, who works for the Worldwide
Ministries Division as coordinator for interfaith relations.

As in the pilot, two-member teams from 10 nations - one Christian from an
overseas partner of the PC(USA) and one Muslim with whom the partner is in
dialogue - will visit the United States from Sept. 23 through Oct. 7.

The teams will visit congregations, presbyteries, colleges and local
communities across the country, sharing their experiences of the realities
and challenges of maintaining Christian-Muslim relationships in their home
countries, said Rock, who is heading up the Interfaith Listening Project
planning team.

"It's just such a wonderful way to put a face on Christian-Muslim relations,"
said Rock. "It's a great model, in that it allows people to encounter two
individuals who already have a relationship in a specific place, working on
specific issues."

Christian-Muslim teams are expected from Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia,
Jordan, Lebanon, Niger, Pakistan, the Philippines and South Africa.

The program is co-sponsored by WMD (http://www.pcusa.org/wmd/) and the
Presbyterian Peacemaking Program (http://www.pcusa.org/peacemaking/), part of
the Congregational Ministries Division (CMD) (http://www.pcusa.org/cmd/). It
was created in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks in New York City
and Washington, DC.

"It was a response to peoples' sense that they didn't understand or know the
Muslim community in the wake of the attacks," Rock explained.

The 2002 participants fanned out across the United States to share meals and
conversation with congregations, students, ecumenical groups and American
Muslims in more than 100 events in more than 30 presbyteries.

"At every turn, it seemed as if the timing was right," said Debby Vial, the
Presbyterian Peacemaking Program's associate for peacemaking partnerships.
"It was as if people were really ready for it. I think it's a better form of
homeland security to get people talking, and more importantly to get people
to listen."

The teams' itineraries for this year are still in development, as organizers
sift through applications from churches, presbyteries and other
PC(USA)-related entities that would like to host an Interfaith Listening
team. They hope to choose the host sites by early May and post the details on
the project's Web site (http://www.pcusa.org/listeningproject/).

"We may do fewer (stops) this time, in the interest of having those visits be
longer so, that the conversations can be more in-depth," Rock said. "So we
may only get to 25 sites this time, or even 20."

He said no decision has been made about the project beyond this year. The
planning team will evaluate the 2002 and 2004 campaigns and to make a
recommendation as to whether it should be continued.

St. Andrews Presbyterian Church (http://www.benziestandrews.com/), in Beulah,
MI, was a host in 2002 and would like to participate again this year.

"We're doing it because we need to hear from other parts of the world, other
faiths," said the Rev. Thom Nelson, pastor of 300-member St. Andrews. "The
vibrancy that we heard coming from those participants was a little bit
startling to mainline Presbyterian folk, hearing the zeal and the hardships -
and the joy in the midst of hardship - that both the Islamic and Christian
folks shared."

Rock said organizers hope to stir more interest among young people this year
by emphasizing college visits and discussions with youth groups. "We feel it
is really important for young adults to meet Muslims and Christians from
other places and start to have this conversation," he said.

The Presbyterian commitment to dialogue with people of other faiths is
detailed in "Mission and Evangelism: An Ecumenical Affirmation," a policy
statement endorsed by the PC(USA) General Assembly in 1983.

Commissioners to the 2002 Assembly called on Presbyterian individuals,
congregations and governing bodies to "interact with those Muslims in their
own localities who are interested in building bridges of understanding and
trust, doing so ecumenically whenever possible."

The Book of Order says: "The Presbyterian Church (USA) will seek new
opportunities for conversation and understanding with non-Christian religious
bodies, in order that interests and concerns may be shared and common action
undertaken where compatible means and aims exist."

For information about the Interfaith Listening Project and the application
process, visit its Web site, http://www.pcusa.org/listeningproject, or call
Sherri Auld, the project administrator, at (888) 728-7228, ext. 5313; or send
an email to Auld at sauld@ctr.pcusa.org.

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