WORKING TOGETHER FOR A BETTER SAINT PAUL

Clergy involved with Interfaith Action’s work in the community gather periodically throughout the year for conversations with civic leaders about how to build economic mobility in Greater Saint Paul. Clergy represent houses of worship that are members of Interfaith Action or who work with the organization’s Project Home, Opportunity Saint Paul, and Community Power-Up programs.

Questions? Contact Sarah Peterka, Director of Opportunity Saint Paul & Congregational Engagement, 651-789-3853.

Coming Up: A Conversation with Mike Burbach, editor and vice president, St. Paul Pioneer Press

Thursday, May 20, 9:00–10:30 am
RSVP

Mike has been in the news business for 40 years, the past 15 of those here in St. Paul. Please come and talk with him about how the Pioneer Press — and news media in general — choose to craft their coverage of race, poverty, and the role of religious institutions. Mike is a real person, concerned about the issues we’re all concerned with. He will provide us with a candid, lively, point-counterpoint, and we will all emerge more connected, more informed, and with a greater depth of understanding of each other’s work, challenges, hopes, and prayer

Mike has been editor and vice president of the St. Paul Pioneer Press since 2011. For five years prior to that, he was Pioneer Press editorial page editor. He’s a 1982 graduate of the University of North Dakota, where he was editor of the student newspaper. In addition to working in newsrooms in Grand Forks, Aberdeen, Minot, Detroit, Columbus, Ga., and Akron, Ohio, he’s also been a paper boy, a grocery boy, a meat cutter, a farm hand, a road construction laborer, a house-framer, a waiter, bartender and a rental-car agent. And altar boy, although that was a long time ago. Through the years, he’s been active in news-industry efforts related to openness in government and diversity. He and his wife and their three daughters live in St. Paul.

Recent Clergy Civic Engagement Discussions

February 25, 9–10:30 am
A Conversation with Members of the Saint Paul School Board

Please join us to hear from members of the Saint Paul School Board on how they are working with students during the COVID-19 pandemic. They will share about distance learning, academic slippage, out of school time issues, and what changes might we expect in schools.

Thursday, November 19, 2020
Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz

First Lady Gwen Walz is passionate about education for all people, from infants to senior citizens to those who are incarcerated. She also spoke about the intersectionality of education, faith and justice reform. Watch and listen to the conversation.

October 2020: John Harrington, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Public Safety and a staff member from the MN Department of Health shared an update on COVID-19 procedures for the faith community.

June 2020: Rev. Darrin Goss: Lessons Learned from Charleston – Clergy’s Role in Community Healing after the Mother Emanuel Massacre, with opening remarks from Governor Tim Walz

Rev. Darrin Goss is the president of the Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina who has been a leader in community healing in the aftermath of the Mother Emanuel church massacre in 2015. Read more and watch the video of the discussion.

May 2020: John Harrington, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner, and Maureen Ramirez, Office of Economic Opportunity at the MN Department Employment and Economic Development, provided updates on the state’s plans related to COVID-19, including financial opportunities.

March 2020: Ramsey County Attorney John J. Choi met with interfaith clergy for a candid, far-reaching discussion about the criminal justice system in Ramsey County and Minnesota. Attorney Choi has been on the cutting edge of many issues that affect our congregations and communities.