Restore The White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Tags: Politics, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Faith, President

Restore The White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Organized by Faith 2020, 320+ Faith Leaders Ask President-Elect Biden & Vice President-Elect Harris To Restore And Build Back Better The White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships Faith 2020 Dec 11, 2020·6 min read

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Dear President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris,

We write to you as we enter a season of many holy days celebrated by people around our great nation. We write as well amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the arrival of what will be a long, hard winter for our communities and nation at large. This letter is offered with our sincerest respect and prayers for a successful transition . We look forward to your inauguration on January 20th, 2021 and your leadership in the years to come.

We are a diverse collection of faith leaders, organizers and faith-rooted officials from past Presidential Administrations. We write with a request that we believe will help restore the soul of our nation and set us on track to defeat COVID-19, heal and strengthen our economy and communities, and celebrate the diversity so key to our nation’s prosperity at home and abroad.

Leading the United States through multiple global crises, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said: “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith.”

On day one of your Administration, we ask that you restore The White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, placing it within the Domestic Policy Council as it was in the Obama-Biden Administration and working to form partnerships between the federal government and faith-based and neighborhood organizations to more effectively serve Americans in need.

Rooted in our nation’s founding principles, and building on the historic work of the Obama-Biden Administration’s partnership with faith and neighborhood groups, we believe a restored and renewed Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will not only serve your administration’s purposes, but also effectively bridge partisan divides and bring about unique opportunities for healing and service. We remember, in fact, that it was President Barack Obama’s foresight to build upon President George W. Bush’s White House faith-based initiative, recognizing that our nation’s faith and neighborhood groups are places for belonging, community and transformation that transcend partisan differences in search of the common good.

The structure of a White House coordinating office, with satellites in various federal agencies and Cabinet-level offices, facilitates the coordination and execution of Administration priorities. This model also provides an accessible mechanism for numerous organizations to learn about the programs and resources that the government provides.

Leading the United States through multiple global crises, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said: “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith.”

Knowing the roots of your own strong personal faiths, we see this moment as an opportunity to move with belief and action. We believe a Biden-Harris White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships will help optimize the role of faith communities in moving our nation forward into a brighter future.

Thank you for your consideration. We hold you, your incoming Administration, and your families in prayer.

Signed,

(in alphabetical order)

Mrs. Harriet Abrahm

Emma Addams

Jewish Educator Shelli Aderman

Rev. Audrey Akins Williamson

Imam Azhar Azeez

Dr. Polly Baca

Rev. Nan Baker

Kathy Baldock

Rev. Jim Ball

Rabbi Benjamin Barer

Edward Barker

Rabbi Eliot Baskin

Belinda Bauman

Tina Beazer

Rev. David Beckmann

Mr. John Berg

Rabbah Arlene Berger

Rev. Raymond Berrios

Rabbi Linda Bertenthal

Rev. Andrew Bertodatti

Jeff Bialik

Eric Biggart

Kelly Bingel

Rabbi Rena Blumenthal

Rabbi Neil Blumofe

Dr. James Bradley

Audre Bratcher

Rev. Bailey Brawner

Carol Bremer-Bennett

Rabbi Anne Brener

Rev. Dr. Chloe Breyer

Rev. Dr. Valerie Bridgeman

Rev. Nancy Susan Brims

Mr. J. Mark Brinkmoeller

Rabbi Deborah Bronstein

Rev. Dr. Ken Brooker Langston

Dr. Susan C. Brown

Carolyn Brown

Binta Brown

Reverend Felicia Bruce

Rev. Felicia Bruce

Jenna Bunner

Rev. Jim Burklo

Susan Burnett

Rev. Jennifer Butler

Rev. Dr. Geneva Butz

Lillian Caldwell

Glenn Cameron

Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon

Lee Carlile

Nikki Carman

Patrick Carolan

John Carr

Pastor Raymond Chang

Dr. Mohammad Chaudry

Sandra Chesla

Mark Chimel

Jay Chung

Shane Claiborne

Ms Sandy Cleary

Cantor Jen Cohen

Rev. Jason Coker

Rev. Maxcine Collier

Rev. Rev. Walter Contreras

Phil Coray

Rev. Paul Corner

Lawrence Couch

Rev. Kevin Craddock II

Ayana Craig

Stephen Crilly

Rev. Victor Cyrus-Franklin

Justin Davis

Rev. Dr. Catherine Davis

Rev. Randy Dawson

Adriana De La Rosa

Tony De La Rosa

Beth DeHaven

Rev. Gavin Dluehosh

Jamal Donaldson Briggs

Rev. Eugene Downing

Rev. Beth DuBois

Rev. Jane Duffield

Myles Duffy

Matthew Dunbar

Amelia Duroska

Pastor Lyda Eddington

Rev. Demetries Edwards

Rev. Ryan Eller

Greg Epstein

Kathy Escobar

Rabbi Helaine Ettinger

1st Lieutenant Aristotle Evia

Joyce Farrell

Joshua Ferguson

Sarah Ferguson

Rev. William Ferguson

Deborah Fikes

Max Finberg

Natalie Finnie

Dr. Eugene Fisher

Ms Patricia Franks

Rabbi Jonathan Freirich

Rev. Dr. Justin Fung

Ms Dorothy Furbay

Rev. Martin Garcia

Rabbi Matthew Gewirtz

Rev. Dr. Tamara Gieselman

Rabbi Sara Gilbert

Rabbi Ilan Glazer

Jonathan Golden

Pastor Angela Goodson

St John Baptist Church Coretta Graham

Rev. Dr. Marcia Graham

Cynthia Gralewski

Rev. Dr. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson

Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons

Rabbi Fred Greene

The Rev. Broderick Greer

Barbara Gulick

Barbara Gulick

Jordan Gustafson

Mekdi Habtem

Bishop Grant Hagiya

Karen Haley Allen

Ambassador Tony Hall

Dr. Jyl Hall Smith

Rolf Hammersborg

Rev. Lynn Hargrove

Lisa Sharon Harper

Steven Harris

Grant Haver

Rev. Dr. Peter Heltzel

Rev. Dr. Robyn Henderson-Espinoza

Stephen Hendrickson

Alonzo Hill

Dr. Karen Hilsberg

Amanda Holmes

Rev. Dr. Chaz Howard

Scott Howell

Linda Hubler

Rev. Dr. Joel Hunter

Hyepin Im

Rev. Tomas Ivens

Margaret Jagodzinski

Elaine Jahrsdoerfer OP

Gregory Jao

Rev. Aaron Jenkins

Dr. Russell Jeung

Mirabelle Johnson

Rev. Jack Johnson

Rabbi Min Kantrowitz

Mother Bernadette Keitt

Sister Mary Kennedy

Loretta Kerns

Rev. David Key

Kathy Khang

Rev. Suzana Kim

Rabbi Rachel Kobrin

Sister Kimberly Konkel

Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Kuan

Rev. Dr. Bob LaRochelle

Chris LaTondresse

Deacon Steven Latture

Rev. E. Terri LaVelle

Sister Brigid Lawlor

Richard LeBlanc

Rev. Dr. Daniel Lee

Matthew Lee

Rev. James Lee

Rev. John Lee

Sr. Beth LeValley

Sarah Lin

Vanessa Lindley

Sister Sister Dominica Lo Bianco

Sister Paulette Lomonaco

Walter Long

Joseph Lothringer

Rev. Alvin Love

Pastor Mayra Macedo-Nolan

Phyllis Mack

Rev. Bob Maffitt

Debra Majeed

Rev. Carlos L. Malave

Rev. Sonia Martin-Campbell

Joseph E. Martinez

Rev. Michael Mata

Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews

Apostle Sharon Maxwell

Dr. Liz McCloskey

Dr. James McCormick

Jennifer McCullough

Rev. Mandy McDow

Zak McGaugh

Denise McGraw

Rev. Terrance M.McKinley

Rev. Brian McLaren

Rev. Ian McPherson

William Meservy

Rabbi Jason Miller

Rev. Jason Mohn

Rev. Kathleen Moore

MargaretMary Moore

Jordan Morales

The Reverend Michele Morgan

Don Morgan

Leah Moss

Sister Maryann Mueller

Rev. Karen Muntzing

Rami Nashashibi

Barbara Nilsen, MDiv, UTS

Sheryl Olitzky

Rev. Doug Pagitt

Mary Pappolla

Rev. Sunyoung Park

Mary Pasquini

Rev. Jennifer Pattee

Rev. John Pawlikowski

President Randall Payne

Linda Payne

Kerry Peay

Rabbi Karen Perolman

Rev. Judy Peterson

Dr. John Phelan

Eberle Philippe

Rev. Adam Nicholas Phillips

Randy Phillips

Rev. Kurt Poland

Kathleen Rak

Rabbi Joshua Ratner

Ms Marilyn Reed

Rev. Jeanette Repp

Rev. Dr. Amanda Riley

Rev. Carlos Rincon

Rev. Miguel Rivera

Ms. Patricia Roehrig

Honorable Paul Rosenthal

Rev. Laura Rossbert

Rev. Brian Rossbert

Rabbi Francine Roston

Kevin Ryan

Rev. Dr. Gabriel Salguero

Marlene Sallo

Rev. Mark Salmon

Bishop De’Andre Salter

Rabbi Eva Sax

Rabbi Adam Schaffer

Dr. Alexa Schlimmer

Dr. Stephen Schneck

The Rev. Floyd Schoenhals

Sister Ann Scholz

Rabbi Rebecca Schorr

Rabbi Dr. Elyse Seidner-Joseph

Imam Wahy-Ud Deen Shareef

Marilyn Shaw

Rabbi Michael Shefrin

Rabbi Cantor Robbi Sherwin

Rev. Dr. William Shillady

Rabbi Jessica Shimberg

Rabbi Andy Shugerman

Kelly Shuppe

Dr. Ronald J. Sider

Dr. Rajwant Singh

Former Congressman. Jim Slattery

Jason Slattery

Rev. Fred Smith

Sr. Mary Catherine Smith

Lennice Smith

Evangelist Diallo Smith

Pat Smithey

Rabbi Marc Soloway

Rev. Samuel Son

Rabbi Brent Spodek

Cantor Howard Stahl

Glenda Staten

Rev. Matt Steinhauer

Cantor Deborah Stern

Susan Stern

Rabbi Leah Sternberg

Rev. Alexander Steward

Rev. Ron Stief

Rev. Dr. Roland Stringfellow

Amy Sullivan

Rabbi Gail Swedroe

Dr. Robert Taber

Rev. Adam Taylor

Lauren Tharp

Sister Phyllis Tierney

Rev. Dr. Al Tizon

Christina Tobias-Nahi

Ms. Tatiana Torres

Nikki Toyama-Szeto

Rev. Veronica Truell

Edie Tugman

Rev. V. Simpson Turner Jr

Rev. Eli Valentin

Rev. Sandra Van Opstal

Rev. Kevin VanHook

Keelan von Ehrenkrook

Philipp von Turk

Rev. Ken Walden

Rev. Jim Wallis

Rev. John Wang

Michael Wear

Rabbi Aaron Weininger

Jennifer Wells

Laura Wendel

Jill Wildenberg

Rev. Dr. Paula Williams

Lynne Williams

Pastor Lisa Williams

Rev. Rev. Gary Bernard Williams

Rev. Dr. Nancy Wilson

Elizabeth Wilson

Rev. Melvin Wilson

Rabbi Jeremy Winaker

Rabbi Michal Woll

Audrey Wooten

Rev. Won-Seok Yuh

the Rev. Judith Ziemann