In addition to attending the Summit, Meagan and Jim were invited to participate in a new partnership between the Miller Center for Interreligious Learning and Leadership at Hebrew College and Interfaith America. 

This is a new phase of the Miller Center’s groundbreaking interfaith fellowship program, the Building Interfaith Leadership Initiative (BILI). This program was launched in 2017 and recently renamed the BILI Launchpad Fellowship. It provides young leaders with the skills and experience to build bridges across differences and address common challenges. Joining as a partner is Interfaith America, a national leader in inspiring, equipping and connecting individuals and institutions to unlock the potential of America’s religious diversity. 
 
“In this time of extreme polarization, there is an urgent need for cooperation across religious and cultural divides. BILI aims to raise up a new generation of leaders equipped to carry out this sacred work,” says Rabbi Or Rose, the Founding Director of the Miller Center.

Meagan and Jim say they were thrilled at the opportunity to participate. While in Chicago, they attended an extra day of training and preparation for interfaith work in today’s social climate.

“This work is exhilarating. Too many people have been taught to fear people of faith traditions other than their own and therefore any interreligious dialogue. Our work with Interfaith America and BILI allows us to build strong connections with peers from colleges and universities across the country, and develop and lead an impactful interfaith campus-based project," Meagan says. "Also, I really appreciate BILI’s emphasis on student involvement. Jim’s participation allows him to take this knowledge into his future work and community engagement wherever he heads after Guilford.” 
 
Together, the Miller Center and Interfaith America welcomed its first cohort of 26 student fellows and 12 local mentors from across the country with an intensive orientation in advance of Interfaith America’s leadership summit. BILI students and mentors will continue with monthly online workshops, a mid-year trip to Washington, D.C., the development of local campus and community projects, and a closing session in April 2023.

Participating institutions for the 2022-23 academic year, in addition to Guilford, are Brown University, Davidson College, Georgetown University, University of Notre Dame, University of North Florida, University of Puget Sound, University of Rochester, and Stanford University. 

The group is intentionally diverse, bringing together talented young adults and educators from across different religious, cultural, racial, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. All of the participants were chosen based on a demonstrated commitment to the development of inclusive communities and the repair of civic life in the U.S. 

Meagan and Jim expressed their enthusiasm for participating in a program alongside colleagues from such distinguished institutions.

Meagan shares that Guilford College is a welcoming campus where people of all faith and non-faith expressions are welcome. She says that students are encouraged to explore their spirituality on a personal level as well as from an academic point of view. Various religious groups have a presence on campus and the College offers Religious Studies as a major and minor.

"Guilford was founded on the Quaker principle that all are welcome, each having 'that of the God within them, and that religious and spiritual lives are a key aspect of human development and flourishing" Meagan says. Therefore Guilford's basic approach to interfaith cooperation is to practice “radical hospitality” where all faith traditions are welcome into a religiously plural community for dialogue and exchange toward a positive end.

Established in 2016, the Betty Ann Greenbaum Miller Center for Interreligious Learning and Leadership at Hebrew College provides current and future religious and ethical leaders with the knowledge and skills to serve in a religiously diverse society. While interreligious programming is growing on campuses throughout the United States, BILI is a unique national fellowship program providing students with the opportunity to engage with peers and mentors from other schools and nonprofit organizations and to train with recognized experts — scholars, community organizers, artists, politicians, and clergy — in the theory and practice of interreligious leadership.

To learn more about this program or Guilford’s continued involvement, contact Meagan Holleman at hollemanm@guilford.edu.