Mailing address:
Loudoun Interfaith BRIDGES
P.O. Box 4127
Leesburg, VA 20177
To inquire about membership, email Secretary@loudounbridges.org or download an application:
Congregational Membership
Associate Membership (for individuals not representing a congregation)
Questions about this site? Email Secretary@loudounbridges.org
Hello,
My name is Marti Johnson and I’m the Washington Correspondent for Bahrain National Television. I saw the announcement for your Interfaith Vigil and wondered if I could get permission to cover the vigil for Bahrain TV? They are interested in stories of inclusiveness and tolerance, particularly for religious minorities, in the United States and your vigil first came to my attention on the Adams Center newsletter.
My phone number is (323) 770-4406.
To whom it may concern:
I am looking for a not for profit organization to partner with in order to raise awareness about issues our youth, especially teenagers, are facing in the fast paced, diverse and highly competitive climate like the one here in Loudoun County. I am the parent of a high school freshman and its heartbreaking to watch as my bright, happy child spirals into depression and deals with excessive anxiety due to the stress he faces at school. I recently watched a very powerful documentary film addressing this issue and would like to see a screening of this film happen here in Loudoun County. The film is called ‘Race to Nowhere’ and you can learn more about it from their web site, racetonowhere.com. I feel this is a very important issue and one that our community must address. Thank you for your consideration.
My church wishes to hear more about your work and join you in your mission. Please email with a name and phone number. I will pass this along to the Vestry.
Thanks,
Ken Courter
(Monday, June 13, 2016 * 9:35 AM) Best wishes to you and your work in these challenging and tragic times!
I’ve heard a report that you may be leading a vigil in support of Orlando this evening, but haven’t seen anything official about it. Do you plan one? And if so, can you please send me something in time to share it usefully with others? Thanks in advance –
Charles Stevenson
Tel 202-239-5144
Hi,
I read the LTE http://loudounnow.com/2018/02/16/letter-the-loudoun-interfaith-clergy/. I am very thankful for this letter. I appreciative all the faith leaders who contributed to this letter & signed it. This letter has left me with a few questions which i hope you will be able to answer for me.
I am a member of the Love Your Neighbor Facebook group- Orange Ribbon Campaign. In the letter it is stated “As Loudoun clergy, we are beginning what we call the “Loudoun Love Your Neighbor Initiative.” ‘ Is this different than the Facebook group? My understanding was the Facebook group and orange ribbon campaign was created by community members without any particular affiliation. Their pinned post reads:
We as a community display an orange ribbon, a sign of love and unity, in response to expressions of hate and bigotry. To help spread awareness, please tie an orange ribbon on your front door or mailbox.
By its very nature, our message welcomes all political parties, religions and races.
I would also like to know how to RSVP for the Life After Hate event on Monday, March 5th. I expect this will be very well attended. I would not want to show up to find the capacity has been exceeded.
Also, I would like to know if the following message from your LTE applies to our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender community. I have been speaking to the Loudoun County school board since December 2016 about extending their nondiscrimination policy to include sexual orientation & gender identity. You can watch archived video of the school board’s public comments here and hear young students imploring for protection & viability. At the meeting on 2/13 a student spoke about being made to feel like she was diseased.
“Our faith traditions call us to value friends and strangers alike as beloved by God. But instead we hear testimonies of students in our Loudoun County schools tell the stories of being demeaned by insulting taunts. Despite the generosity of the God of love, we know that many are demeaned and even openly threatened because of their style of dress and because of stubborn racism…… we seek to encourage Loudoun County residents to reach out and build relationships with each other toward a strong, diverse, and vibrant community where all may flourish. ”
And finally, a bit of feedback #LoudounLoveYourNeighborInitiative is a very long hashtag. Effective hashtags are short and easy to spell. #LoudounLove has been used on Facebook since March 2017 and on Twitter since January 26th 2017.
I know there is a lot going on in our community these days. We need to work for full equality & protection for all of us, we cannot leave anyone out. This is why we need to know that our LGBT community is included when you speak about acceptance.
I am Rev. Martha Tolen, the Assistant Pastor of Holy Trinity Parish at 13515 Dulles Technology Dr., Suite 4, Herndon, VA 20171. Our Parish moved into that building about 2012. Our national church has been active in the USA since 1949. I have not been in the area very long, having lived just south of Baltimore previously.
We are Catholic, but are independent from the Roman Catholic Church. Just as there are a lot of different Protestant churches, there are also a lot of Catholic churches that are not affiliated with the Roman Church. We use the Roman liturgy and rites, and mainly differ in our social policies. We are open to all people, regardless of their marital status, their sexual orientation, race, or political affiliations. One thing people often notice is that we do ordain women and our bishops are elected by the members of the church. Our national church is called The Catholic Apostolic Church (check out the web site for more information) and we have parishes mostly in New York, Virginia, and Florida, but also in Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, and Minnesota.
Recently we have had several key people from our Herndon church retire and move away. We are in the process of setting a new vision for the future, and would like to better connect to our neighborhood. We are close to Coates Elementary school and there are hundreds of apartments and condos close to us.
One hope is that we might be able to find a small group of Catholics or other Christians in the area that would be interested in joining us, or a group who would like to share our space. I expect there are groups that meet in homes, or rent a small store front which would enjoy being in very pleasant worship space dedicated for church use. We also would be interested in sharing the space of another group and assist them in their expenses.
I realize you primarily work in Loudoun County, and I live in Loudoun. Our church is just “over the border in Fairfax County, and I have been unable to find a similar organization here. If you could connect us with like-minded people, or direct us to organizations in the Reston/ Herndon area that might have links to such groups, that would be very helpful. In fact, any suggestions would be gladly received! Thank you for your time and consideration.
Blessings,
Martha Tolen
tolenmh@gmail.com
410-903-6485