Hawkins served as Secretary of the Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council (GKCIC) from 2005 until 2011, and presently serves as its American Indian Spirituality Counsellor. Founder of the GKCIC Speakers Bureau until 2019, Hawkins coordinated speaker presentations by faith leaders for the community, and hopes to rekindle the Speakers Bureau now that she comes out
Rev. Dr. Zac Harmon-McLaughlin is the director of the Community of Christ Seminary at Graceland University where he also serves on the faculty of religious studies. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Religion in 2008 from Graceland and Master of Arts in Religion in 2010 from Graceland’s Community of Christ Seminary. In 2019, he
Teresa is a Pastoral Minister at Visitation Catholic Church in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph who has also ministered in Houston, Jefferson City, and Boston; after earning a B.A. in Philosophy and an M.A. in Theology. For over 25 years her academic and personal focus has been in religious literacy, interfaith dialogue and peacemaking; beginning
Geneva Blackmer is a five precepts lay Buddhist within the Kwan um School of Zen since 2014. She is a Ph.D. Candidate at Amridge University, earned a Master's of Ecumenical Studies from the University of Bonn in 2023, and a Master of Arts in Religious Studies in 2019 from Athens State University. She is the
I am a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One of the basic tenets of our faith states, “We claim the privilege of worshipping almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience and allow all men this same privilege; let them worship how, where, or what they may.”
Alan Edelman is a native of Kansas City. After receiving a B.A. in Child Development, Alan attended the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he received a Master’s Degree in Jewish Education. Since 1977, he has served in a number of professional capacities including congregational educator, regional director for the Conservative Movement and executive director of the
Zulfiqar (Zulfi) Malik is a founding member taking a leading role in the establishment of the Islamic Society of Greater Kansas City and its institutions such as the Islamic Center of Greater Kansas City, Mid-America Muslim Cemetery and the Islamic School. He is the editor of the Muslim community newsletter.
Usha Saha, Ph.D., was born in Vijayawada, India in a Hindu family and practiced “Hinduism’, which is more than a religion. It is a culture, a way of life, and a code of behavior. She comes from a family of professionals. Her father was in the Air Force and her mother was a school principal.
Rev. Michael Stephens grew up in Kansas City and has experience in the Christian Church (DOC), United Methodist, Episcopal and Southern Baptist circles. Since 2002, he has been the pastor at Southwood United Church of Christ in Raytown which is very progressive theologically and works toward social justice in many areas symbolized by the full
Dr. Nakao was raised in the Methodist faith, and began her search for unification with the heart/mind of God at a young age, encouraging her parents to attend church as a child, even when on vacation in other states. After finishing her Ph.D. in Art Education at the University of Missouri, she was led to the
