Union County: Speakers Announced For Day Of Prayer, Sept. 18

submitted by Union County Interfaith Coordinating Committee Council

The speakers for the Union County Day of Prayer coming to Westfield Sept. 18 has been announced and includes representation from houses of worship from throughout the county and multiple faiths, as well as the nonprofit community.

The Day of Prayer is an interfaith gathering of the faith-based, nonprofit and government communities to unite people from throughout the county regardless of race, religion or disability and to bring greater awareness of the support services available to them. The event will be held Thursday, Sept. 18, at the First United Methodist Church in Westfield, beginning at 6:00 p.m. It is open to the public and there is no charge to attend, although reservations are required.

“The Union County Day of Prayer: The Ethics of Reciprocity – Your Faith, Your Golden Rule” will offer attendees multiple readings from the Bible and Koran, a panel discussion about what the reciprocity of faith, or Golden Rule, means within different faiths and singing by the Children’s Choir of Trinity United Methodist Church of Rahway.

Readings will be offered by:

· Marilyn Schneider, director of the WAE (Wellness, Arts, Enrichment) Center at the Jewish Services for the Developmentally Disabled in West Orange

· Imam Ali Jaaber of Masjid Darul Islam Mosque in Elizabeth

· Rev. Edwin Brown of the Progressive Baptist Church in Rahway

The panel discussion will feature:

· Schneider

· Imam Ali Jaaber

· Pastor William Ingram of the Shiloh Baptist Church in Elizabeth

· Rev. L.L. DuBrevil of the Faith United Church of Christ in Union

· Rev. Erica Crawford of the Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Rahway as the discussion facilitator

The Union County Day of Prayer is being sponsored by the Union County Interfaith Coordinating Committee Council, an organization comprising 40 interfaith congregations and community-based nonprofits. The council was formed to promote inclusion of all people within the community, without regard to race, religion or disability, and to create a clearing house of faith-based, nonprofit and government community services available to the public, according to Sid Blanchard, executive director of Community Access Unlimited (CAU), the driving force behind creation of the council.

CAU is the Union County-based nonprofit that provides support programs and services to people with disabilities and youth served under the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to enable them to live independently in the community, in areas including housing, vocational and life-skills training, education, advocacy and recreation.

“We have lined up an impressive slate of speakers providing a cross-section of faiths for an event which we believe will be inspiring, informative and inclusive,” Blanchard said. “Our goal is to mark an annual event from which to build interfaith efforts within Union County on a 365 day basis. To allow faith-based leaders and their congregations from different religions throughout the county an opportunity to network with others and bring back to their own communities the benefits of being part of the Interfaith Council.”

More than 400 are expected to attend.

Those wishing to participate in the Union County Day of Prayer should make reservation by contacting Aleyah Lacey at Community Access Unlimited at 908.354.3040, ext. 324, or alacey@caunj.org.