Our volunteer committee began a process in Fall 2005 to identify an appropriate program to further the successful practice of religious pluralism in our community, drawing on local, national and global resources. We engaged in approximately six months of relationship building and exploration, which included attending interfaith activities and events in Kansas City and meeting with community and religious leaders. In meeting with Dr. Diana Eck, Harvard professor of religious pluralism, we were urged to look at Louisville, Kentucky’s successful model of a Festival of Faiths and explore how we might bring that model to Kansas City. We then developed a plan to launch the first annual Festival of Faiths in Kansas City in November 2007 and seed funding was provided by the Village Presbyterian Church Endowment Trust.

We are organized by a volunteer interfaith Leadership Planning Committee, which includes the chairs of each Festival event committee.

Leadership Planning Committee members include:

Janet Burton, Co-Chair
Priscilla Wilson, Co-Chair
Marilyn Brewster, Keynote Speaker Event Chair
Hussain Haideri, President of the Crescent Peace Society
Meridee Jordan, Logistics Committee Chair
David Nelson, Vital Conversations Chair
Judy Press, Jewish Community Relations Bureau
Jamie Rich, Director, Open Circle
Sheila Sonnenschein, Table of Faiths Chair
Donna Ziegenhorn, Arts Event Chair
Josef Walker, Youth Activities Chair

Keynote Speaker Event Committee

Marilyn Brewster, chair
Iftekar Ahmed
Shaheen Ahmed
Peggy Augustine
Judy Baird
Michael Bay
Margaret Boomer
Janet Burton
Hussain Haideri
Caryl Herman
Pat Jackard
Sandi Lerner
Judy McEachen
Meg McLaughlin
Nadia Nazir
Ellen Portnoy
Arlene Raudenbush
Krista Rogers
Priscilla Wilson

Table of Faiths Steering Committee