Jean M. Anderson is a lay person who serves on the board of the Metro-East Interfaith Partnership (MEIP). She is their representative for Compassionate St. Louis. She has been a Christian all her life and identifies most closely now with The Progressive Christian Movement. The Air Force influenced her interest in diverse cultures. Over the course of her husband’s (Jerry), twenty-seven year career as a military man, the family moved nearly every two years. Overseas locations include: four years in Germany and two years in Taiwan. Child rearing, with an emphasis in education, of their four children was the main focus of the first twenty-five years of their fifty-one year marriage (and counting). At fifty-three, she obtained a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) majoring in design and painting. She has participated in numerous Bible studies over the years including Bible Study Fellowship and Community Bible Study. While attending Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) she became inspired for future spiritual exploration by two classes taught by Rev. Roger R. Karban. They were: The Bible as Literature Old Testament and the Bible as Literature New Testament. She completed the four year course called Education for Ministry (EFM) through Sewanee University in Tennessee and then joined an alumni group to continue further discussions. While a member of the Episcopal Church Jean filled many leadership roles including Synod Delegate, Bishop’s Committee Member, Search Committee Member whose mission was to assist in the selection of a new priest and then a separate search committee whose role was to assist in the selection of a new Bishop for the Springfield Diocese. In 2020 she completed The World’s Religions semester course with Dr. David Oughton through Saint Louis University.
Rev. Annie P. Clark is a charter member of the Metro-East Interfaith Partnership. She is an ordained Religious Science (New Thought) minister.
She served 21 years as Spiritual Leader of Radiance Center for Spiritual Living which she, along with ten others, founded in 1990. Now she serves people of all faith traditions through weekly bible studies and a monthly presentation via Zoom.
Rev. Annie is co-author with Bill Anderson of Our InVisible World (a reflection on the awesome loving presence of God within each of us).
Rev. Annie resides in Shiloh, Illinois.
She served 21 years as Spiritual Leader of Radiance Center for Spiritual Living which she, along with ten others, founded in 1990. Now she serves people of all faith traditions through weekly bible studies and a monthly presentation via Zoom.
Rev. Annie is co-author with Bill Anderson of Our InVisible World (a reflection on the awesome loving presence of God within each of us).
Rev. Annie resides in Shiloh, Illinois.
Fr. Bob Flannery, serves as priest at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Carbondale and as the Ecumenical and Interreligious Office for the Catholic Diocese of Southern Illinois. He helps organize the annual interfaith Thanksgiving event and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Carbondale and is a participant in the Ralph Anderson Interfaith Dialogues. Fr. Bob also serves on the Board of Regents of the School of Theology and Seminary at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota.
Cindy Forbes (Cynthia Pender-Forbes) has been a participant of MEIP activities since it began. Cindy is a member of the Baha’i Faith where she served on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Belleville, now serves on the Area Teaching Committee for the Goshen Cluster of Illinois. Prior to the forming of MEIP, she represented the Baha’i Faith for the Belleville Clergy Association. In 2022, she is a founding member of Well-Wishers of Humanity, gathering people from different communities and faiths in support of ‘acts of service’ as needs are identified. Cindy is a health and life insurance agent and is the corresponding secretary for MEIP.
James R. Forbes, is an active member of Metro-east Interfaith Partnership since its beginning, supporting events and book discussions at his office and participating on its board. A member of the Baha’i Faith, Jim served at its National Center in Evanston, Illinois and the Baha’i Temple in Wilmette, Illinois and, on the local Belleville Baha’i Spiritual Assembly. For both his religious faith and the Interfaith Partnership, he has performed numerous informational presentations to audiences at colleges, churches, universities and public forums. Jim is retired of two 20-year careers: Computer Information Technology and the U.S. Air Force Reserves, Medical Service. Currently, he and his wife Cindy operate a health and life insurance agency. Jim celebrates over 40 years as an active participant in a 12-Step-Program.
Rev. Lana Gilbert-McCarty has been in leadership positions on the Metro East Interfaith Partnership board (MEIP) since the beginning, which was over 20 years ago. During these years, McCarty has spoken numerous times for her Faith and for MEIP at the Belleville, Illinois Masjid and Islamic Education Center, the Temple Beth Israel, and the Shrine at Our Lady of the Snows. She has also organized tours to the St. Louis Holocaust Museum, the Hindu Temple in Ballwin, Missouri as well as the Insight Center, (a non-denominational sacred space) in St. Louis, Missouri. For several years, McCarty volunteered at the St. Louis Missouri Festival of Cultures at Tower Grove Park, inside the tent of World Faiths answering visitors’ questions about Interfaith Partnerships. McCarty has participated in numerous ecumenical and inter-religious formation and interfaith opportunities in the United States and abroad. Rev McCarty is an ordained minister for Community of Christ Church. She is a native of Independence, Missouri. In 2002, she began her service as Co-President for MEIP with Rev. Douglas Cripe and then became President of the partnership in 2016 and remains so to the present.
Pastor Tim Harrison began full time ministry at Friedens UCC-Troy Church on July 1, 2021, after 23 years of ministry as Chaplain on the campus of McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois. He is married to Danielle Harrison, and they celebrate parenting four wonderful adult children (David, Elana, Lukas, and Alexander). Tim grew up in Kansas as the son of a minister and taught Special Education in Public Schools in Alaska and Georgia before entering Candler School of Theology Seminary to follow his ministry call. Tim's faith journey has been an important part of his entire life. The essential key element of his ministry is developing healthy relationships: with God, and others! He enjoys the opportunity to walk with people in their good and difficult life experiences, assuring them of God's constant presence. For Tim, ministry is an honor and privilege not to be taken for granted but received as a gift! Pastor Harrison is an ordained United Methodist Elder appointed to serve at Friedens UCC with covenants with the United Church of Christ! He continually looks forward to being in ministry with this Friedens faith community and making an impact on the needs of people in the Troy area for the glory of God! He enjoys being outdoors, golfing, travel, and engaging people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Tim is also blessed to support his wife's ministry both in her work in education and as an independent contractor and trainer of equity and inclusion! He welcomes an opportunity to get to know you!!
https://www.friedensucc-troy.org/leaders
https://www.friedensucc-troy.org/leaders
https://www.friedensucc-troy.org/leaders
https://www.friedensucc-troy.org/leaders
Dr. Mohammed Kibria, as one of the founding members of the Metro-East Interfaith Partnership, Dr. Kibria continues to invite the local Muslim community into dialogue with the local community. He is a member of the Masjid Islamic Center in Swansea. A devout Muslim, Dr. M.G. Kibria is a relentless advocate for good will between religious faiths, ethnic groups and nations. He is a proud and patriotic U.S. citizen, though he was born in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. Dr. Kibria is a co-founder, officer and former president of the Belleville Mosque. He is well known for inviting leaders and members of other faiths and those with no religious affiliation to visit the mosque for conversation and fellowship. Dr. Kibria has accepted countless invitations to explain his faith to a wide array of groups, youth and adult, throughout the region. Dr. Kibria responds with a chuckle if someone asks about the status of women in Muslim society. “We think women are the best,” he said. “They are the most gentle, the most powerful. We have elected women president in our country, and three of my sisters have master’s degrees. It’s not a dogmatic society in which we live.”
Father Kevin Laughery is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. From 1986 to 2017, he was active in the Greater Springfield Interfaith Association, serving four stints as president. He served as ecumenical officer of his diocese from 2002 to 2017, and as interreligious officer from 2011 to 2017. In July 2017 he became pastor of the Catholic parishes of Troy (St. Jerome) and St. Jacob (St. James). He is on the leadership team of the Illinois Conference of Churches and is active in its anti-racism team. He attended the Parliament of the World's Religions, Chicago, 1993, and Salt Lake City, 2015.
Kevin takes his interfaith inspiration from the declaration on the relation of Catholic Christians to non-Christian religions, Nostra Aetate, Second Vatican Council, 1965: "The Church ... exhorts her [children], that through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, carried out with prudence and love and in witness to the Christian faith and life, they recognize, preserve and promote the good things, spiritual and moral, as well as the socio-cultural values found among these [people]."
Kevin takes his interfaith inspiration from the declaration on the relation of Catholic Christians to non-Christian religions, Nostra Aetate, Second Vatican Council, 1965: "The Church ... exhorts her [children], that through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, carried out with prudence and love and in witness to the Christian faith and life, they recognize, preserve and promote the good things, spiritual and moral, as well as the socio-cultural values found among these [people]."
Father Carroll Mizicko, OFM is a member of the Franciscan Order serving as Pastor of St. Augustine of Hippo Catholic Church in East St. Louis, IL in the Diocese of Belleville. He has ministered in Chicago, Memphis, TN, Nashville, TN, Monroe, LA and now East St. Louis. An important part of his ministry in all locations has been involvement in Interfaith efforts as he is convinced of our need to work together to deepen our spiritual lives and improved the communities in which we live and serve. He has been a member of Metro East Interfaith Partnership since it's founding and serves as the treasurer for our organization.
Christopher Smith, J.D. is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org) and currently serves as the Communications Director for the regional office of the church - O'Fallon Illinois Stake. This role involves interfaith work, communication with media, attendance at public relations events as well as encouraging compassionate service to others through putting faith in Jesus Christ in action (https://www.comeuntochrist.org). He is the Bishop Emeritus of the Belleville congregation after having served as it’s Bishop for 5 years and has served in numerous leadership positions in the church. Chris is active in a variety of interfaith work and serves on the board for the Metro East Interfaith Partnership (http://www.metroeastinterfaith.org) and has participated with another non-profit group, Racial Harmony (http://centerforracialharmony.org), on a Spiritual Wellness Panel. Chris served as a proselyting missionary for his church in Italy, sharing his faith and participating in a variety of service projects and interfaith activities in addition to teaching conversational English. Chris serves as the Secretary of our organization and is one of the administrators for our website and Facebook page.
