Upcoming IFA Programs

IFA meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month from 12 to 1:30 pm each September through May. Each begins with fellowship lunch, followed by an opening invocation and announcements, which is then followed by an hour of input and discussion on an issue of interest to area clergy and lay leaders. Meetings are held at Eastern Mennonite University whenever EMU is in session, and are in the West Dining Room adjoining the cafeteria on the ground floor of Northlawn Residence Hall. January, May and June meetings are held elsewhere as announced.

December 6

We are fortunate to have Dr. Amir Akrami presenting at our monthly meeting, 

He will be speak about the Islamic faith and how a greater understanding of Islam helps us in America have more peaceful relations across religions and cultures. He will describe his views on how the West and Iran could peacefully resolve the current dispute.

Dr. Akrami’s bio:

Dr. Akrami, EMU’s first visiting Muslim scholar in the Center for Interfaith Engagement, arrived mid-September in Harrisonburg and will continue in his role as visiting scholar through summer 2013. He comes to EMU from the Iranian Institute of Philosophy in Tehran, Iran.

Dr. Akrami has been a regular participant in the internationally respected Building Bridges Seminars in London, 2002; Bosnia, 2005; Washington DC, 2006; Singapore, 2007 and Rome 2008 (http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/networks/building_bridges), and has organized and participated in numerous interfaith conferences and workshops. He has written and published broadly on topics of inter-religious dialogue, religious pluralism, Islamic mysticism, theology and philosophy.

He holds an M.A in Religions and Mysticism from the University of Tehran, and a PhD in Philosophy of Religion from McGill University in Montreal. From 2006-2009 he served as lecturer of Islamic Studies at Al-Mahdi Institute, Birmingham, UK, and has taught courses in Buddhism, Christianity, Philosophy of Religion, and Islamic Mysticism.

A reminder: you may buy your lunch at EMU’s cafeteria for $7.00.  I believe it’s about $5 for senior citizens.  Come a few minutes early to beat the lunch rush.

Officers:

President: David Miller, Pastor, Montezuma Church of the Brethren

Vice-president and Program Chair: Mark Keller, Pastor, Harrisonburg Mennonite Church

Secretary: Emily North, Pastor, Shalom Mennonite Church

Treasurer: Jim Brady, Harrisonburg Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints <bradyeast@yahoo.com>