Formation 1991 Location Washington, D.C. Founded 1991 | Founder Rev. Doug Tanner Interim President and CEO Robert Liberatore | |
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Headquarters Washington, D.C., United States Similar Initiatives of Change, Search for Common Ground, Bipartisan Policy Center Profiles | ||
The Faith & Politics Institute is a Washington, D.C. non-profit organization that serves members of Congress and congressional staff by offering experiential pilgrimages, reflection groups, retreats and public forums." Through its bipartisan programs, the group "works to bridge racial, religious, and political divisions among elected officials, while promoting reflective and ethical leadership. Since 1991, hundreds of members of Congress, Congressional staff, and their constituents have taken part in efforts "that encourage collaborative and visionary leadership practices and foster healing, civility, and respect."
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The organization was headed by the Rev. Doug Tanner for the first 15 years of its existence, with Fr. Cletus Kiley taking over as president in 2006, succeeded in 2011 by the Rev. Mark J. Farr. In July 2012 Elizabeth McCloskey became the CEO and President of The Faith & Politics Institute, followed by Robert Liberatore whom is the current Interim CEO and President. While many Democratic and Republican Congressional Representatives work with the organization, including those on its Congressional Advisory Board, Representative John Lewis, a former leader of the Civil rights movement in America, has played a special role in its programs, including its annual Civil Rights Pilgrimage to Alabama.
History
The Institute was founded in 1991 to "provide bipartisan, bridge-building opportunities for political leaders to experience the spiritual power of conscience, courage, and compassion."
Plans for the group resulted from an early "reflection group" that included Rep. Glenn Poshard, Ms. Anne Bartley, Rev. Joe Eldridge, and Rev. Doug Tanner. Convinced of the importance of such opportunities for reflection, Tanner founded the Institute in 1991 "with the hope of providing opportunities for meaningful interactions and experiences among those who lead and serve our nation", Some of the Institute's earliest efforts were linked to the "Common Ground" program, providing opportunities for staffers and members to help rebuild churches burned by arsonists in the mid-1990s.
In 1997, the organization expanded its programs when then-President Rev. Doug Tanner persuaded Representative Amo Houghton and Representative John Lewis (D-GA) to serve as the co-chairmen of the group's Board of Directors. Their involvement brought in many additional members and leaders of Congress interested in dialogue across party, religious, racial, and ideological lines, creating a "spiritual community of men and women who seek a better way to do the people's business."
Board and Advisors
The Board consists primarily of Lobbyists, Government Relations professionals, and lawyer’s specializing in Government Regulation practices, representing such companies as Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, United Health Group, Alston & Bird, Akin Gump, Fluor Corporation, Covidien, Arent Fox, and others.
In addition to the Board, the Institute includes a “Corporate Advisory Council” composed exclusively of Lobbyists and Government Relations professionals. The members are JOYCE BRAYBOY The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., MYRA DANDRIDGE National Association of Broadcasters, MATT GELMAN Microsoft Corporation, ALISON JONES Ford Motor Company, NORMA KAEHLER American Airlines, JANINE KELLNER The Coca-Cola Company, DAVID MARVENTANO Fluor Corporation, MELINDA MAXFIELD Williams & Jensen PLLC, CHRIS SCRIBNER Regions Financial, KYLE SIMMONS The First Group, DAN TURTON General Motors, KIMBERLY WOODARD The Memorial Foundation
Programs and activities
Activities within these three broad areas include reflection groups, retreats, pilgrimages, and public forums. The weekly reflection groups and occasional retreats are important opportunities seek to provide opportunities for men and women who work in the "fast-paced and charged atmosphere of Washington, D.C., to "connect their role with their greater calling as human beings." The public forums include lectures by well-known speakers "whose lives reflect moral courage in the political arena." The pilgrimages allow men and women from both houses of congress, along with staff members and special guests, to take part in trips that provide information, inspiration, and opportunities for reflection on the lessons to be learned from past struggles, such as the civil rights movement. The annual pilgrimage to Montgomery and Selma Alabama that includes a walk over the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge is an event led by Representative John Lewis, an early civil rights leader. Other special activities include:
The Faith & Politics Institute just concluded its annual Congressional Pilgrimage to Alabama to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of "Bloody Sunday". The Institute brought together an unprecedented number of Senators and Members of Congress in a bipartisan fashion to reflect on the Civil Rights struggle of the past. There were over 100 lawmakers in attendance during the 3 day weekend including addresses and appearances by former President George W. Bush and President Obama in Selma, Alabama.
Partnerships
Through partnership efforts with other organizations, the Institute extends its reach by co-sponsoring special events that its basic missions. Some groups, like the Fetzer Institute, partner with the Institute to support a wide variety of its programs, while others focus on specific events, including:
Leadership
The Reverend Doug Tanner was founder and first president of the organization. In 2006, Fr Cletus Kiley, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, at that time executive director of the Office of Priestly Life and Ministry of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), took over as president, with Tanner continuing to work as the group's "Senior Advisor." The current president is the Rev. Mark J. Farr, previously the Senior Faith Director of the Points of Light Institute. Farr was selected for the position in January 2011 and officially began work as president on February 28, 2011. Rob Liberatore, is the current Interim President and CEO while a national search is conducted for a new President.