Schedule

the topics, speakers, panels, and breakouts that will fill the day and fill your mind

Thursday, October 9

Marriott Marquis, New York City

Time Session Speakers
8:30 AM Check-in Pre-registration required
Morning Plenary Session
9:00 AM Welcome & Invocation
Welcome: Elder David R. Marriott (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Invocation: Venerable Chang-Kuan (Western Buddhist Association)
9:10 AM Introduction to the Day Rabbi Joseph Potasnik (The New York Board of Rabbis)
9:15 AM
Religious Liberty: Where We've Been, Where We Are, and Where We're Going
Introduction: Elder Quentin L. Cook (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Constitutional Overview: Michael W. McConnell (Professor and Director of Constitutional Law Center, Stanford Law School)
Recognition for Achievement in Preserving Religious Freedom
9:40 AM
Religious Trends in America - The Data
Ryan Burge (author of Graphs about Religion)
10:00 AM
Faith in the Public Arena
Moderator: Jane Clayson Johnson (former news anchor)
Panelists:
Beth Daley (The Conversation; Boston Globe)
David Miller (Director, Faith & Work Initiative, Princeton University)
Judge Thomas Griffith (retired judge, DC Circuit Court of Appeals)
Dave Checketts (American businessman and sports executive)
Recognition for Achievement in Fostering Faith in the Public Arena
10:50 AM Keynote John Sexton (President Emeritus, New York University)
11:10 AM Break
Breakout Sessions on the Various Roles of Faith
11:25 AM
Building Better Communities
Moderator: Bishop Matthew F. Heyd (Episcopal Diocese of New York)
Panelists:
Reverend Adriene Thorne (The Riverside Church)
Imam Ammar Abdul Rahman (Muslim Chaplain, Fordham University)
Rabbi Diana Gerson (The New York Board of Rabbis)
Andrew Hanauer (CEO, One America Movement)
Recognition for Achievement in Building Better Communities
Navigating the Media
Moderator: McKay Coppins (The Atlantic)
Panelists:
Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak (ProPublica)
Dritan Nesho (CEO, HarrisX)
Emma Green (The New Yorker)
Steve Waldman (Newsweek)
Recognition for Achievement in Promoting Uplifting Media
Elevating Higher Education
Moderator: Evan R. Chesler (Chair Board of Trustees, New York University)
Panelists:
Josh Good (Aspen Institute's Religion & Society Program)
Bonnie Cordon (President, Southern Virginia University)
Rev. Mark E. Fowler (CEO, Tanenbaum)
Simran Jeet Singh (Assistant Professor of Interreligious Histories, Union Seminary)
Recognition for Achievement in Elevating Higher Education
Solving Social Problems
Moderator: Rev. Dr. Chloe Breyer (Interfaith Center of New York)
Panelists:
Caura Richardson (The NYS Office of Faith & Nonprofit Development Services)
Imam Dr. Talib M. Shareef (President, Masjid Muhammad, The Nation's Mosque)
Sylvie Sun (Buddhist Global Relief)
Justin Dyer (Professor of Religion, Brigham Young University)
Recognition for Achievement in Solving Social Problems
Strengthening the Rising Generation
Moderator: Rev. Jared R. Stahler (Saint Peter's Church)
Panelists:
Bishop Victor Brown (Mt. Sinai United Christian Church)
Emily Belle Freeman (President, Young Women's Organization, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Dr. Debbie Almontaser (CEO & Founder, Bridging Cultures Group, Inc.)
Sam Wilkinson (Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University)
Haris Tarin (Muslim Public Affiars Council)
Recognition for Achievement in Strengthening the Rising Generation
12:15 PM Break
Lunch Session
12:30 PM Welcome & Invocation
Welcome: Father Ryan Muldoon (Archdiocese of New York)
Invocation: Maytal Saltiel (University Chaplain, Yale University)
12:45 PM Opening Remarks His Eminence Cardinal Dolan (Archbishop of New York)
12:55 PM Keynote Honorable Rowan D. Wilson (Chief Judge, New York Court of Appeals)
1:15 PM Presentation of Honors
Interfaith Impact - Building Interfaith Bridges
1:20 PM
The Role of Religious Liberty in America's Success
Interview of Justice Stephen Breyer (U.S. Supreme Court, retired) by Professor Kate Stith (Yale Law School)
1:50 PM Presentation of Honors
Medal of Honor
1:55 PM Closing Remarks & Benediction
Closing Remarks: Rev. A. R. Bernard (Christian Cultural Center)
Benediction: Guruji His Holiness Dileepkumar Thankappan (World Yoga Community)
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
2:15 PM
Track One: Special Screening — Baseball: Beyond Belief
Based on “Baseball as a Road to God: Seeing Beyond the Game” (Gotham, 2013) by John Sexton
Private screening followed by Q&A with the Filmmaker John Scheinfeld
Baseball: Beyond Belief Poster
Track Two: Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925): 100 Years
"No child is the mere creature of the State."
Topic Introduction: His Eminence Cardinal Timothy Dolan (Archbishop of New York)
Moderator: John Huleatt (General Counsel, Bruderhof)
Panelists:
Mark Rienzi (The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty)
Rabbi Meir Soloveichik (Congregation Shearith Israel)
Christen Price (Legal Counsel, NCOSE)
Track Three: Inspiring a Culture of Service
Moderator: Rev. Jacques Andre DeGraff (Choose Healthy Life)
Panelists:
Mohamed Amen (Muslim Senior Advisor to NYC Mayor)
Jennifer Walker-Thomas (Co-Director, Mormon Women for Ethical Government)
Pastor Gilford Monrose (NYC Mayor's Office of Faith-Based and Community Relationships)
Yogi Trivedi (Bhakti Studies, Columbia University)
Track Four: FamilySearch - Discovering Personal Histories
Stephen Valentine (Senior Vice President, North American/Europe/Middle East/Africa, FamilySearch International)
Stephen Lean (Director, American Family Immigration History Center)
Sylvia Kollar (Director, Municipal Archives, Department of Records and Information Services, City of New York)
Elder Allen Haynie (President, United States Northeast Area, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

Working Group Meetings (3:30-4:30)

Working Group Session Group Leaders
JustServe - Coordinated Community Service
Lisa Magnusson, Emma Prete, Jill Clegg
Maternal & Child Well-Being
Reverend Que English
The Role of Faith in International Affairs
Ryan Koch (Director, NY Office of Public and International Affairs, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Ivy Koek (Soka Gakkai International, Multi-faith Advisory Council to the UN Interagency Task Force on Religion and Sustainable Development)
Yfat Barak-Cheney (Jewish World Congress, Multi-faith Advisory Council to the UN Interagency Task Force on Religion and Sustainable Development)
Felipe Queipo (NGO Liaison Unit, Department of Global Communications, United Nations)
Innovation Inspired by Faith in Education
Brian Ashton (President, BYU Pathway Worldwide)
Justin Jones (Frontlines Institute)