wfn.org | Religion in the Federal Workplace Spokespersons

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
Contact: Carol J. Fouke, NCC News, 212-870-2252
Internet: news@ncccusa.org

The following persons were involved in drafting the
"Guidelines on Religious Exercise and Religious Expression in
the Federal Workplace" being issued at 10 a.m. Thursday,
August 14, at the White House by President Clinton.  All will
be available in Washington, D.C., unless otherwise noted.  All
are experienced media spokespersons.  They also are working,
along with others, to promote legislation to strengthen
religious accommodation in the private workplace (see entry
for Richard Foltin, below).

Marc Stern, Co-Director, Commission on Law and Social Action
American Jewish Congress, Washington, D.C.
Chair, Drafting Committee
Guidelines on Religious Exercise and Religious Expression in
the Federal Workplace
Mr. Stern is one of the most respected lawyers in the
United States on church-state issues.  He is consulted
widely by numerous Jewish and non-Jewish organizations
interested in maintaining the separation of church and
state.  His legal expertise has been instrumental in
helping the American Jewish Congress successfully resist
attempts to weaken First Amendment protections.  Prior to
joining the American Jewish Congress in 1977, Mr. Stern
was a law clerk to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Fourth Circuit.
Contact: David Harris, American Jewish Congress, D.C.,
202-332-4001 or
    Steve Steiner, AJC Media Relations, NYC, 212-360-
1540

Steven T. McFarland, Director
Center for Law and Religious Freedom, Annandale, Va.
Member, Guidelines Drafting Committee
The Center is the legal advocacy and information arm of
the Christian Legal Society, a nationwide association of
5,000 Christian attorneys, law students and law
professors committed to the integration of faith and
practice.  Before coming to the Center, Mr. McFarland was
a trial attorney with Lane, Powell, Moss & Miller and a
partner with Ellis, Li, and McKinstry, both in Seattle,
Wash.
Contact: Mr. McFarland at 703-642-1070 x3500

Elliot Mincberg, Executive Vice President & Legal Director
People for the American Way, Washington, D.C.
Member, Guidelines Drafting Committee
Mr. Mincberg directs a litigation and advocacy strategy
targeted on his organization's priorities: freedom to
learn, excellence in education, maintenance of an
independent judiciary, encouragement of civic
participation, and protection of First Amendment and
privacy rights.  He has litigated and published
extensively on the Equal Access Act, affirmative action,
school desegregation and the First Amendment.
Contact: David Elliott, PFAW Media Relations, 202-467-
2390

Rev. Oliver Thomas, Special Counsel for Religious and Civil
Liberties
National Council of Churches, New York City and Washington,
D.C.
Member, Guidelines Drafting Committee
Mr. Thomas is a Baptist minister and attorney, practicing
exclusively in the field of religion since 1985.  He has
been involved in church-state litigation in state and
federal courts and at the U.S. Supreme Court, and has
worked with hundreds of school districts on issues
pertaining to religion.  The NCC (formal name: National
Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.) is the
nation's largest ecumenical body.  Its 33 Protestant and
Orthodox member denominations have a total of 52 million
members.
Mr. Thomas will be available in Washington, D.C., and
Nashville, Tenn.
Contact: Carol Fouke, NCC Media Relations, 212-870-2252

Rabbi David Saperstein, Director
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Washington, D.C.
Rabbi Saperstein, the senior Jewish lobbyist in
Washington, represents the national Reform Jewish
movement to Congress and the administration.  Also an
attorney, he teaches advanced seminars in both First
Amendment church-state law and in Jewish Law at
Georgetown University Law School.  The Center also
provides extensive legislative and programmatic materials
to synagogues nationwide and coordinates social action
education programs that train more than 2,000 Jewish
adults, youth, rabbinic and lay leaders each year.
Contact: Ian Marinoff, RAC Media Relations, 202-387-2800

Rev. J. Brent Walker, General Counsel
Melissa Rogers, Associate General Counsel
Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs, Washington, D.C.
The Baptist Joint Committee's focus is on issues of
church-state relations, religious liberty and separation
of church and state.  Mr. Walker, a Baptist minister and
lawyer, also teaches at Georgetown Law School.  Ms.
Rogers is a graduate of Baylor University and of the
University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Contact: Mr. Walker or Ms. Rogers at 202-544-4226

Forest D. Montgomery, Counsel, Office for Governmental Affairs
National Association of Evangelicals, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Montgomery, an expert in constitutional law and
frequent speaker on First Amendment issues, monitors
church-state affairs throughout the government.  He
frequently testifies before congressional committees on
legislative proposals affecting religious freedom.
Before joining the NAE staff in 1980, Mr. Montgomery
worked in the Office of General Counsel, Department of
the Treasury (1965-80) and in the IRS Chief Counsel's
Office (1956-65).  The NAE is an association representing
42,500 congregations and 295 parachurch ministries and
schools.  It represents a broad range of theological
traditions and serves an evangelical constituency of 25
million people.
Contact: Mr. Montgomery at 202-789-1011

Richard Foltin, Legislative Director and Counsel
American Jewish Committee, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Foltin has worked extensively to protect the free
exercise of religion.  He chairs the Coalition for
Religious Freedom in the Workplace, whose goal is to
promote passage of legislation to strengthen religious
accommodation in the private workplace.  A bill to that
effect (S.1124) has been introduced in the Senate by Sen.
Dan Coats, R.-Ind., and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.
Introduction in the House of similar legislation is
pending.  Commented Mr. Foltin, "For many religiously
observant people, on a day-to-day basis the greatest
challenges to their ability to observe their faith come
at the workplace where employers don't provide reasonable
accommodation."
Contact: Arthur Berger, AJC Media Relations, 212-751-4000
x271

-end-

NOTE: THE GUIDELINES ON "RELIGIOUS EXERCISE AND RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION IN THE
WORKPLACE" WILL BE POSTED ON THE INTERNET AT WWW.WHITEHOUSE.GOV