Meet the Interfaith Council!
Current Members
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Jeffrey Lidke is Assistant Professor of Religion at Berry College and is the IFC Chair for the 2004-2005 year. With a Ph.D. in Comparative Religions, Jeff has found that the practice of Asian arts and meditative practice has been a powerful compliment to his intellectual studies, teaching, and writings. As a perennialist, he believes that there is a deeper truth that transcends the social, cultural, and historical circumstances of each religion. And so, while he values the unique heritage of each religious tradition, he also seeks in his interfaith work to understand what it is that connects us all to the divine. jlidke@berry.edu |
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Steve Bell is a former soccer coach, current Professor of Psychology and a serious Jew. A guide he uses to guide his life is written by Rabbi Danny Siegel:"If you always assume the person sitting next to you is the Messiah, waiting for some simple kindness, you will soon come to weigh your words and watch your hands. And if the Messiah so chooses not to be revealed in your time, it will not matter." sbell@berry.edu |
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Aira Shimura, a student at Berry College, has been interested in the diverse spiritual traditions of the world and interfaith dialogue for many years. She is a recent member of the Rome Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Particular interests range from the relationship of nature and spiritual traditions and religion and art, to name a few... |
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David McKenzie has been a member of the Religion and Philosophy Department at Berry for 27 years, and is currenty a Professor of Philosophy. He has been deeply committed to the development of interfaith relations at Berry, and is delighted at the accomplishments of the Council. He is a Christian and a proponent of progressive-liberal Christian theology, but is open to the revelation of God in all of the major religions as well as various minority and new forms of spirituality. He is also bivocational, serving as Pastor of Rehoboth Baptist Church in Cave Spring, a moderate Baptist congregation. dmckenzie@berry.edu |
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Jake Dirnberger |
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Ellen Johnson is an assistant professor in the English Department at Berry. She belongs to the Chattanooga Friends Meeting (Quakers), which is part of the Friends General Conference. She also leads Dances of Universal Peace, an interfaith worship activity, in Decatur and elsewhere. She is pleased to have been elected to the Interfaith Council because she knows that there are many different ways to commune with God, and she hopes that all students at Berry will feel welcome here, no matter what their path. ejohnson@berry.edu |
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Mary Randall, a senior Music Education Major at Berry, is a student representative for the IFC. For many years, her interests and studies in various religious practicing has increased, believing strongly in a coexistence amongst all religions. Currently, she is working at Rome First United Methodist church as a children's choir director and member of the Chancel Choir. In graduate school, she hopes to study the influence of music in Eastern religions. Contact: mrandall@students.berry.edu |
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Amy Summerlin is the Grants Coordinator here at Berry. She is a '92 and '97 graduate of Berry College, and is a very active and long-time member of St. Peter's Episcopal Church here in Rome. Her hobbies include walking, weaving, and cooking, which she enjoys doing with her husband, Keith, and three children, Matthew, Jake, and Ellen. |
| Major: Creative Writing Minor: Religion Class of 2008 |
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Past Members
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Wade Carpenter is associate professor of Education at Berry College and is an Episcopalian. He hopes to see the IFC further the communion of saints, adding that "the rest is pretty much up to God". wcarpenter@berry.edu |
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David Fikis is a sophomore at Berry College and serves on the IFC as a student member. He subscribes to agnosticism, and hopes to become more involved in matters pertaining to spirituality on campus through the IFC. dfikis@students.berry.edu |
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Brent Simoneaux is a student member of the IFC. His personal faith is Unitarian Universalist. He is on the council to do his part to help people realize the importance of faith and the many possibilities for it that are out there. bsimoneaux@students.berry.edu |
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Gary A. Waters is Associate VP for Advancement at Berry College. He is a member of the Trinity United Methodist Church in Rome. Gary's interest in serving on the IFC is to assist Berry with the challenge of a historic commitment to Christian values in an increasingly diverse community. gwaters@berry.edu |
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Cary Sanders is a Christian, moderate Baptist. Her faith teaches her that God's first commandment is to love our fellow human beings. To Cary, that means understanding and respecting other's various viewpoints, and embracing them because of their inherent worth as children of God. Serving on the Interfaith Council allows her to be a part of a group who shares this goal. csanders@students.berry.edu |
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Kathleen McMahan is an Episcopalian and active member of Canterbury Club at Berry College. Her interest in the IFC stems from her strong belief in the unity of the human race through faith in a higher power. As a Christian, she is bound by her faith to show God's love to everyone, regardless of their religious affiliation. She hopes that the IFC will be able to make those of different backgrounds feel more welcome at Berry. kmcmahan@students.berry.edu |