Faith And The City
Bringing a Moral Dimension to Civic Dialogue

The mission of Faith And The City is to nurture a spirit of mutual community, shared responsibility, and common destiny among the citizens of the Atlanta metropolitan region.

We fulfill our mission through a range of initiatives:

• Seminary Partnerships
• Public Issues Forums
• Web site, Newsletter, E-Letter
• Interfaith Dialogue TV Program
• Congregational Exchange Initiative
• Faith Leadership Institute

Seminary Partnerships
Our partnerships with Candler School of Theology, Columbia Theological Seminary, Interdenominational Theological Center, and McAfee School of Theology form a cornerstone of our work. By collaborating with these institutions to enhance their programs for faculty, students, and communities, we're helping redefine the role of public religious leadership in civic life. Through our seminary partnerships, we also help to provide opportunities for students and faculty to participate in delivering such leadership to the Atlanta regional community--enriching both the region and the institutions.

Public Issues Forums
Public issues forums are essential to nurturing public dialogue and a sense of community. Faith And The City hosts such forums. Three are described here:

Mayoral Candidates Forum. This event created a festive atmosphere in Woodruff Park--at the historic junction of Peachtree Street and "Sweet" Auburn Avenue--to allow Atlanta's mayoral candidates to discuss their visions for creating community. The event was cosponsored by Faith And The City and an ecumenical/interfaith consortium of local houses of worship.

Is There a Place for the Poor in Smart Growth Atlanta? Leaders from government, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and the faith community convened for two forums to share candid dialogue and various perspectives on how to help the neediest members of our regional community.

Interfaith Service, September 11, 2002. Faith And The City and the Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta cosponsored the Interfaith Service of Remembrance, Reflection, and Healing on the first anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks on America. The service encouraged a sense of community through increased awareness and respect among diverse faith traditions.

Communications Vehicles
www.faithandthecity.org. Our Web site offers hundreds of articles and other information on public issues, a range of resources for people of faith, and email links for hundreds of local, state, and federal officials--all to help bring a moral dimension to civic dialogue.

Newsletter. Our printed newsletter--each edition with a focus on a specific public issue and a message from our co-chairs--is distributed to the region's leaders in religion, government, education, business, community service, and other fields.

E-Letter. Our electronic newsletter, or E-Letter, offers brief stories on people and programs, along with special events notices in the faith and social service communities.

Weekly Television Series. "Faith And The City Forum: Interfaith Dialogue on Public Issues" is a 30-minute panel discussion that features subject experts and people of various faith traditions discussing current public issues.

Congregational Exchange Initiative. This program brings together more than 150 congregations in partnerships across the divisions of race, denomination, and faith tradition--fostering close congregational and interpersonal relationships and creating shared opportunities to serve the community.

Faith Leadership Institute. This initiative prepares people of various faiths, who are leaders in congregations and communities, for expanded roles in public religious leadership. Participants--selected from a cross-section of area congregations--learn through theory and practice to nurture a sense of community and provide leadership for their faith communities and the larger society.

Faith And The City is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to encourage a sense of community throughout the 20-county Atlanta metropolitan region and bring a moral dimension to civic dialogue. The organization is led by its founding co-chairs, former U.S. Ambassadors Andrew Young and James T. Laney, both ordained clergy. Our many programs include seminary partnerships, public issues forums, newsletters, Web site, interfaith dialogue TV program, congregational partnerships, and public religious leadership training for people of faith who are leaders in congregations and communities.