Print Issue: March 7, 2002

Unique Conference Bridges Diverse Theologies, Cultures For Common Goals

By Rebecca Rakoczy, Staff Writer

Msgr. Henry Gracz PINE MOUNTAIN - Homelessness. Racial separation. The lack of affordable health care. Cultural divisions among neighborhoods and communities. Gentrification.

Each issue has been debated everywhere from the pulpit to the political arena. Most recently, they were among many topics brought to the forefront Feb. 24-26, during the Atlanta Regional Assembly on Faith and Public Life, a gathering of more than 60 Atlanta leaders from many religious, ethnic and working backgrounds. Msgr. Henry Gracz of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception was among the distinguished group that attended the intensive three-day conference at Callaway Gardens.

"It was one of the top five conferences I have attended in my life," Msgr. Gracz said. "We would start at 8:30 in the morning and go until 10:15 p.m. with just 15 minute breaks." The diverse range of religious, ethnic, corporate and nonprofit representatives that attended the event underscored the intensity of the assembly. It concluded with an imam and a rabbi embracing in a sign of mutual respect and determination.

The assembly was formed to bring together Atlanta-area leaders from many diverse religious, ethnic, racial and working backgrounds to identify shared values related to the role of religion in public life, as well as look for ongoing ways to support mutual projects together. The ideal was that "every major faith had something akin to the Golden Rule," said Judy Harmon, a spokeswoman for the project.

The mutual project aspect struck a chord with Msgr. Gracz. "Can you imagine if communities of faith in Atlanta would sincerely address the resources available to help the homeless?" he said.

The assembly was conceived before Sept. 11 by Imam Plemon El Amin of Atlanta's Majid Al Islam; Rabbi Arnold M. Goodman of Ahavath Achim Synagogue; and the Rev. Joanna Adams, former pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church. In developing their assembly model, the conveners used the help of The American Assembly, a national, educational, nonpartisan institution whose purpose is to provide information and stimulate thorough and reasoned discussions and evoke independent conclusions on matters of vital public interest.

If the idea of bringing diverse communities together for "reasoned discourse" seemed tough, the meeting's importance as a bridge of understanding between communities of faith grew after the terrorist attacks, organizers say.

"There has been some concern that the Atlanta area political and corporate arena has not had the strong voice of the community of faiths," Msgr. Gracz said. "There was concern that perhaps we have neglected our mutual role as guardians of the soul of the city."

Through the intensive small group discussions, the groups talked about the "incredible divisions in the metro Atlanta that still exist among faiths, economic statuses, and among races and cultures." The groups developed "some significant principles," he said. "There is a need for us to promote a strong understanding of each other's traditions and faith practices and begin to collaborate together on how to speak to the political and corporate world. We talked about what role religion should have in the public arena. For our people (Catholics) Archbishop Hallinan, our first archbishop, used to love to speak of faith in the marketplace," said Msgr. Gracz. "And as believing Catholics we should practice our faith actively."

Out of the conference, the group produced a 13-page document. A draft of the document states that the results of the meeting "should be more than a convenient embrace of generic goodwill," and continues "people of faith instead are impelled to teach our interdependence and to move communities from fear of one another to understanding. Religious communities must prepare the hearts of people to participate in decision-making among diverse communities, and 'Faith leaders must foster in their constituencies the courage to act on our common values.'"

While the assembly was a one-time event, the relationships forged during it will have a lasting impact, Msgr. Gracz noted. "The assembly was a think tank - now we have established relationships," he said.