Interfaith Connections

Hilary Barber, Vicar of Halifax Minster and Co-Chair of Interfaith Network UK, writes:

Not long after I arrived at Halifax there was an English Defence League March through the town. 600 men were corralled into a carpark opposite the Minster, and I was ordered by the Chief Constable to lock the Minster, while 200 Police in riot gear stood outside to protect the environment. I found this a shocking experience, and soon realised that I had moved into a town where racism was just under the surface and within my own community. Very quickly my own children began to see and experience this for themselves, especially at school. In response to this context, I decided that I would commit part of my own ministry and that of the Minster, towards building a strong resilient community, where there would be good social cohesion and that everyone would be valued for who they were, for what they brought to the community, and for what they might become. For over ten years I was the Vice Chair of Calderdale Interfaith Council supporting the sitting Mayor who was always in the Chair. There have been numerous challenges to overcome especially in enabling the other faith communities to get to know one another, and to visit each place of worship, and to come together for times of celebration and trauma. It has been very interesting to observe that as the Established Church, and as the Mother Church for Calderdale, this window of opportunity for hospitality reaches far beyond the Christian community, to all the other faith communities than enrich the life of the Borough. At a recent Public Theology event, led by The Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP (who was stabbed by a Muslim in his constituency office), a prominent local muslin woman asked Stephen a question, by welcoming him to 'our Minster', such is the affection of the Minster by the other faith communities.

For the past two years I have been the Co Chair of the Interfaith Network for the UK, the principal  agency between government and the faith communities across the four devolved nations. There are 22 representatives on the Board, running the Faith Community Forum at a national level, local interfaith groups affiliated in most communities across the UK, and working with the Moderators for each faith across the sector. I report to both Lambeth and Mr Gove! The last few weeks since the 7th October have seen me Charing some high-level engagement between both Jewish and Muslim organisations, as the effect of the Israel Gaza situation begins to affect the communities of the UK. I believe passionately that as Major Churches we have an important contribution to play as faith leaders in the public square, and I want to encourage all of you to engage and provide hospitality beyond the Christian community, and to play an active role in building resilient communities in your own context. I'm happy to offer any practical advice and support, so do email me if I can help in anyway. Your Local Authority should be delighted to support you, and I encourage you to consider a Faith Covenant between your local faith communities and the Local Authority as a model of good practise for going forward. This is a strategic area where Major churches can take the lead and serve the wider communities in our locality.