Interfaith partnerships can bring about collective action
The Synod of the Northeast’s ‘Connection to Transformation’ conference highlights two such Big Apple examples
NEW YORK — The Synod of the Northeast’s “Connection to Transformation” conference held last week at First Presbyterian Church of Jamaica turned its attention Friday afternoon to using interfaith partnerships to achieve collective action.
The 90 or so attendees heard from the Rev. Dr. Chloe Breyer, executive director of the Interfaith Center of New York, and representatives from Queens Power, which organizes that borough’s nearly 2.2 million residents to fight for and win justice in their communities.
Interfaith Center of New York
ICNY describes itself as a “secular nonprofit organization with a mission to overcome prejudice, violence, and misunderstanding by activating the power of the city’s grassroots religious and civic leaders and their communities.” Breyer, an Episcopal priest in Harlem for more than 20 years, has led the organization since 2007.
For many years, Breyer has offered religious diversity training for educators, law enforcement and social workers. Another critical part of ICNY’s work involves hosting social justice retreats, “where we focus on a single concern and bring in experts,” she said.
She labeled advocacy, service and dialogue as three “important components of interfaith work, three ways people can gather. If you have the ability, do all three,” she said. “Everything rests on relationships. You meet people where they are. You are patient and polite, which are not values being held up right now.”
Ever since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel, the staff at ICNY has felt “there had never been a time when our services were more needed, and yet we felt unable to deliver them.” Since the organization is near Jewish Theological Seminary, Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University and Barnard College, ICNY decided to welcome students in the fall with food that was either halal or kosher. “It wasn’t very glamorous, but it was beautiful,” Breyer said. “It worked well because of the simplicity.”
“If you show you know someone’s holiday, language and culture, that goes a long way,” Breyer said. “Those personal calls after Oct. 7 were all we could do without getting people mad.”
Queens Power
The organization “is comprised of faith communities, nonprofit organizations, schools and unions. The reason we organize is that we have a burning passion for justice and a moral calling to create the power to demand the resources required so that all residents of Queens can live with dignity and have equal access to opportunity,” Queens Power states on its website.
The Rev. Patrick O’Connor, the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica and one of the founders of Queens Power, recalled a rally five years ago held outside of City Hall that drew 6,500 people. Those who showed up didn’t get what they were asking for, but they organized to obtain what they needed the most — more power, according to O’Connor.
“Organizing for me is a way to create real change and effectuate the compassion I wasn’t able to experience in my neighborhood,” said Hanif Parker, Queens Power’s member organizer.
“To me, to nurse is to advocate,” said Dr. Barbara Campbell, who taught nursing for decades before coming out of retirement to work for Queens Power. “I am knee-deep in this fight.”
Rob English of East Brooklyn Congregations, a sister organization of Queens Power, asked conference participants to break into small groups to talk about what’s currently giving them the most anger.
“I’m going to take a risk and disagree with you,” he said at the end of their three minutes. “We would argue the most pressing issue is the lack of power, the ability to act on the issues most important to you.” He invited those gathered in the sanctuary to “take 35 minutes to see if we can take some steps to organize our power. We believe people of faith can use power well.”
Before its launch, Queens Power gathered 43 congregations “to build the organization first before moving into action,” English said. Organizers talked in small groups to 5,000 people, asking what was most important to them. Then as now, affordable housing topped the list. With help from elected officials including U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, the Minority Leader from New York, the site of a former psychiatric hospital has been secured for development.
“It was one of the most exhilarating actions I’ve been involved in,” Campbell said. “There has been a huge brain drain. Lots of people are leaving [New York City] because they can’t afford housing, and we’ve identified land in Queens and Brooklyn” to construct housing units. “We’re going to fight. We have righteous anger over what’s going on. We believe that we deserve better here in New York City.”
According to English, about 10 congregations have said they have enough land to develop affordable housing, “if the mayor and governor step up.” Across the nation’s largest city, there are 1,100 city-owned parcels “ready to develop now,” he said.
“In these moments, we need to find issues where we can win,” said Parker. “Right now, people need a win.”
“A single congregation has limited power,” O’Connor said. “But when we build relationships across the town, the people on the other side who have power will respect organized action.”
Read other Presbyterian News Service reports on the Connection to Transformation conference here and here.
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