
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 |
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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)
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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
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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
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9:40 AM |
Religious Trends in America - The Data
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Ryan Burge (author of Graphs about Religion)
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10:00 AM |
Faith in the Public Arena
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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
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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
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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)
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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
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1:20 PM |
The Role of Religious Liberty in America's Success
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Interview of Justice Stephen Breyer (U.S. Supreme Court, retired) by Professor Kate Stith (Yale Law School)
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1:50 PM | Presentation of Honors |
Medal of Honor
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1:55 PM | Closing Remarks & Benediction |
Closing Remarks: Rev. A. R. Bernard (Christian Cultural Center)
Benediction: Guruji His Holiness Dileepkumar Thankappan (World Yoga Community)
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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
![]() 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)
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Working Group Meetings (3:30-4:30)
Working Group Session | Group Leaders |
---|---|
JustServe - Coordinated Community Service |
Lisa Magnusson, Emma Prete, Jill Clegg
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Maternal & Child Well-Being |
Reverend Que English
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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)
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Innovation Inspired by Faith in Education | Brian Ashton (President, BYU Pathway Worldwide)
Justin Jones (Frontlines Institute)
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