Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II to Convene US Faith and Religious Leaders at Union Theological Seminary, Thursday, September 1st, 10:30 AM

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Gary Zarr & Associates

Aug 31, 2016, 16:15 ET


New York, NY (PRWEB) August 31, 2016 -- Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, visiting professor of Public Theology and activism at Union Theological Seminary, to convene major national faith and religious leaders to speak out against vicious and divisive policy and rhetoric specifically as it relates to race being used in this year's presidential campaign.

On Thursday, September 1, the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II will convene national religious and faith leaders at Union Theological Seminary to speak out against hateful rhetoric and policies and the historical revisionism we are seeing in the Presidential campaign.

Rev. Dr. Barber is President and Senior Lecturer of Repairers of the Breach, Pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church, and Visiting Professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York. He is the architect and organizer of the 2013 “Moral Mondays” demonstrations in North Carolina that drew tens of thousands of protesters across several other southern states in response to GOP legislation regarding Medicaid and gun control.

This is a unique moment in American politics that transcends partisan lines and represents a theological crisis, asserts Rev. Barber. As leaders in the faith community, Rev. Barber and colleagues are compelled to speak out against the hateful rhetoric that, if left unchecked, will continue to tear apart our country. Diverse religious and faith leaders will come together to resist dangerous demagogic statements, which represent a toxic attack on our American moral, ethical and civic values.

What: Press conference with comments from nationally recognized religious leaders

When: Thursday September 1, 2016, 10:30 AM EST

Who:
-Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, President and Senior Lecturer of Repairers of the Breach, Pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church, architect of the Moral Monday Movement in North Carolina, and Visiting professor of Public Theology and Activism at Union Theological Seminary

  • Imam Talib Abdur-Rashid, Imam, Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood
  • Rabbi Justus Baird, Dean, Auburn Seminary
  • Rev. Chloe Breyer, Director, Interfaith Center of New York
  • Dr. Amy Butler, Senior Minister, Riverside Church
  • Hon. Suzan Johnson Cook, former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
  • Rev. Fred A Davie, Executive Vice President & Secretary to the Board of Trustees, Union Theological Seminary
  • Dr. James Forbes, President, Drum Major Institute; Founder and Director, The Healing of the Nations
  • Rev. Derrick Harkins, Senior Vice President for Innovation in Public Programs, Union Theological Seminary
  • Dr. Freddye Haynes, Friendship West Baptist Church
  • Dr. Katharine Henderson, President, Auburn Seminary
  • Rabbi Richard Jacobs, President, Union for Reform Judaism
  • Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, President of the Faculty & Johnston Family Professor for Religion and Democracy, Union Theological Seminary
  • Sister Janet Kinney, CSJ, Nun on the Bus
  • Rev. Michael Livingston, Executive Minister, Riverside Church
  • Father James Martin, SJ, Editor-at-Large, America Media
  • Julio Medina, Founder, Executive Director and CEO, Exodus Transitional Community, Inc. (invited)
  • Jim Wallis, Founder, Sojourners
  • Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Founder, Rutba House, NC

Where: Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, 3041 Broadway at, 121st St.

About Rev. Dr. William J. Barber

The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II addressed the nation last month at the Democratic National Convention. He gave a moral critique and call for people of conscience to be 'moral defibrillators' to 'shock and revive the heart of our nation' with the power of love, mercy, and justice for all.

He is the president and senior lecturer of Repairers of the Breach; pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church; author of “The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement"; the architect of the "Moral Monday" movement in North Carolina; and distinguished visiting professor at Union Theological Seminary.

He’s currently co-leading “The Revival: Time for a Moral Revolution of Values” national tour, which has mobilized thousands of people of faith. This includes over 1,500 faith leaders, who signed on to the "Higher Ground Moral Declaration," delivered to both the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention, challenging extremism in American politics.

About Union Theological Seminary

Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a seminary and a graduate school of theology established in 1836 by founders “deeply impressed by the claims of the world upon the church.” Union prepares women and men for committed lives of service to the church, academy and society. A Union education develops practices of mind and body that foster intellectual and academic excellence, social justice, and compassionate wisdom. Grounded in the Christian tradition and responsive to the needs of God’s creation, Union’s graduates make a difference wherever they serve.

Union believes that a new interreligious spiritualty of radical openness and love is the world’s best hope for peace, justice, and the care of God’s creation. Empowered by groundbreaking inquiry aligned with practical realism and a bias for action, Union is charting a profound new course for enduring social change. Our graduates make a difference wherever they serve, practicing their vocations with courage and perseverance, and speaking clearly and acting boldly on behalf of social justice in all of its forms.

Learn more at [http://www.utsnyc.edu.

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