Vineetha Mahayaye shares his experience as a 10-year-old monk in a monastery, choosing a solitary vocation as a young person, and presently counseling university students.

The Venerable Vineetha Mahayaye is a Buddhist Chaplain at Tufts University, where he leads meditation programs for students and staff. He holds a Master’s Degree in Divinity from Harvard Divinity School. He is originally from Sri Lanka.

Thomas Long talks about his new book, Proclaiming the Parables, and how these stories from Jesus challenge our perceptions and reveal the unpredictable generosity of the divine.

Dr. Thomas Long is professor emeritus at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. His introductory textbook, The Witness of Preaching, is widely used in theological schools around the world. He serves as an editor-at-large at The Christian Century. A Presbyterian minister, Long has served churches in Georgia and New Jersey.

Adam Jortner explains how the American Revolution increased opportunities for Jews, allowing them to achieve citizenship and serve in the military. He also addresses the misconception that America was founded as a Christian nation.

Adam Jortner is Professor of Religion in the Department of History at Auburn University. He specializes in the history of religion in the American Revolution and the early nation, with particular emphasis on religious liberty, patriotism and piety, theology, and new religious traditions. He is the author most recently of A Promised Land:

Jewish Patriots, the American Revolution, and the Birth of Religious Freedom.

Patricia Matthews, an Episcopal priest in Little Rock, Arkansas, discusses her journey from Southern Baptist roots through a decade-long exploration of various religious traditions to her current role as the director of the Interfaith Center. Matthews highlights the importance of interfaith dialogue and shares personal stories of building interfaith relationships, combating fear, and the impact of a dedicated physical space for interfaith activities.

The Rev. Patricia Matthews is Executive Director of The Interfaith Center and Assistant Rector at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church. Under her leadership, the Center moved into its first standalone home and expanded citywide partnerships. She also speaks frequently on faith-in-action and religious freedom, including panels at BYU Law’s Religious Freedom Annual Review and Hendrix College.

David Toole shares lessons he's learned from the example of Maggy Barankitse, a woman driven to care for orphans of the Burundi and Rwanda genocides through her organization Maison Shalom.

Today, Maggy lives in exile in Rwanda after narrowly escaping an assassination attempt in 2015. Maison Shalom was declared an illegal organization in Burundi and she was sentenced to life in prison by the Supreme Court of Burundi, convicted in absentia. She has re-established Maison Shalom in Rwanda.

Maggy has received multiple humanitarian awards, including the Opus Prize, the UNESCO Prize, and the Aurora Prize.

David Toole holds a joint appointment as associate professor in the Duke Global Health Institute and Duke Divinity School. He is author of Love Made Me an Inventor, about Maggy, and founder of Love’s Inventions, a non-profit dedicated to spreading Maggy’s message to the world and supporting her ongoing work in Africa.

J.S. Park, chaplain at Tampa General Hospital, shares his unique role in offering spiritual and emotional support to patients and families during their most traumatic moments, including insights about the nature of grief and the intersection of mental health and faith.

J.S. Park is the author of As Long As You Need: Permission to Grieve, part hospital chaplain experience and part memoir. He is also the author The Voices We Carry: Finding Your One True Voice in a World of Clamor and Noise (2020).

Rachel Whipple joins the In Good Faith team for a discussion of Pema Chödrön's When Things Fall Apart--a classic in Buddhist literature for the last 20 years.

They explore themes such as dealing with fear, facing discomfort, embracing impermanence, and practicing non-attachment.

Pema Chödrön is a Buddhist nun, meditation teacher, and author. In 1981 she became the first American in the Vajrayana tradition to become a fully ordained nun. She has published over 20 books.

Rachel Whipple is an attorney and Provo City Councilor, and a former Research Fellow at the International Center for Law and Religion Studies. She is also a member of the Provo Awakening Valley Sangha Board of Directors.

Helen Boursier discusses her experiences as a volunteer chaplain at an immigrant family detention center in Texas. She reflects on the profound faith and resilience of the asylum-seeking families she met, highlighting their spiritual strength and the love they embody, despite their hardships.

The Rev. Dr. Helen Boursier, Ph.D., was known as “Pastora Helena” for two years inside an immigrant family detention center (2015 and 2016) where she used art as a pastoral care ministry with more than 5000 women and children seeking asylum. She continues to volunteer with, and advocate for, refugees seeking asylum. Dr. Boursier teaches religious and theological studies at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN.

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Reverend John Song shares his background growing up in an immigrant Korean church, his career transition from band teacher to pastor, and his involvement with the One America Movement.

Rev. John Song is the Senior Pastor at City of Hope Presbyterian Church in Columbia, MD. He is on the Board of Directors of the One America Movement, which partners with faith communities across religious, political, and racial divides to confront toxic polarization in our society.

He received his Master of Divinity at Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington D.C,, and was ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America.

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Brad Pomerance, Executive Vice President and On-Air Host at Jewish Life Television (JLTV), shares his passion for Jewish genealogy, the mission of JLTV, and the challenges and importance of representing diverse Jewish stories.

JLTV is North America’s largest and most robust 24/7 English language, Jewish-themed television network. As On-Air Host, Brad Pomerance is helming JLTV’s newest television series, the celebrity-driven, genealogy-themed television series Generations. Previously, Brad was honored with three Los Angeles-area Emmy nominations for his work at Local Edition and Channel 35.

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Also, we’d love to talk to you! Take this short survey and, if you’re chosen, we’d love to sit down for a 30-minute Zoom call to ask you about your experience with In Good Faith.

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