Refugee Services

Early on August 5, 2017 a fire bomb was thrown into the Dar Al Farooq mosque in Bloomington, MN, during the first prayer of the morning. We renounce this cowardly act of hate which appears meant to terrorize our Muslim brothers and sisters. The Minnesota Council of Churches has a special affinity for Dar Al Farooq, where we recently celebrated an Iftar dinner during Ramadan as a part of the Taking Heart program that we coordinate in partnership with the Muslim American Society of Minnesota.

As you might have read in the Star Tribune, I began my tenure two weeks ago. Rev. Peg Chemberlin and I spent the week conferring and transitioning. I celebrate her 22 years of leadership at the Minnesota Council of Churches that spanned nearly 1/3 of the Council’s 70 years of work for social justice in Minnesota. She has created a significant legacy that I hope to build on. I am excited to be here.

In response to requests for our retiring CEO’s retirement speech. (Her last day will be mid-July).
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Thank you, distinguished leaders, many of you colleagues for many years, family and friend I’m very honored by all of this and all of you.