Who We Are

Who We Are

We are a unifying and coordinating voice across faith communities. While we honor the differences in faith traditions, we recognize our common values including love, justice, mercy, and hospitality. Working together, we bring these voices and values to the public policy arena.

Our board is dedicated and diverse. It is composed of faith leaders, ordained and lay, from throughout the state of Georgia and across faith communities. They are committed to witnessing to our common values of faith in the civic life of Georgians.

They work with staff, partners, constituents, and volunteers to keep these principles before our policy makers.

Love

To love our neighbor is to respect the dignity of every Georgian. To promote equity and to insist on equality. It is to state that every child in Georgia deserves an equal chance to become all that our Creator made them to be. It is to encourage generosity of resources and spirit. And to put the needs of our neighbor on equal footing as our own. To love our Creator is to care for creation. To respect the resources of Georgia as a sacred trust that is to be treated with respect and wise stewardship. To ensure our beautiful heritage of sea and mountains, river and swamp, rolling hills, and sandy plains are preserved and cared for so future Georgians may enjoy and care for them in turn.

Justice

We recognize that peace is received through justice. Justice requires listening, understanding, and relationship. It demands a belief in the inherent value of every human being and a striving to understand each other. Justice calls for an awareness of our neighbors’ pain and the prophetic voice when others try to ignore it. Justice is caring and protection for the powerless among us and the restoration of balance.

Mercy

In recognition of the grace we all receive, known and unknown, we believe in mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Hand in hand with justice is the ability to start anew with restoration into our communities. We believe that broken relationships and promises cannot remain broken in healthy communities and attempts to restore those relationships should be encouraged and promoted. We believe that everyone is better than their worst day.

Hospitality

We believe in welcoming the stranger among us as we all have been dependent on others. In a state founded by people both invaded and expelled, we recognize the need to work together for the well-being of all. We believe that a spirit of generosity and sharing will result in enough for all and that we are stronger together than we could ever be alone.

Our History

The Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center grew out of a group of advocates and people of faith working together on common issues. Wanting to formalize their alliance, expand their circle, and establish an organization that would continue to exist beyond an issue, they invited faith leaders from across the state of Georgia to a presentation in May of 2019. The hosts were the Episcopal Bishop of Atlanta, Robert C. Wright, The Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock of Ebenezer Baptist, Rabbi Peter Berg, Senior Rabbi of The Temple, and Soumaya Khalifa, Executive Director of the Islamic Speakers Bureau. The idea and plan for the Center was proposed and the Executive Director of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy spoke about their work and efficacy in the state of Virginia. Out of the meeting, the Center was able to establish supporters, donors, and a founding board.

The Center was incorporated and received its non-profit status in 2019.