Brief History | Vision, Mission & Values | Board Members | Staff | Commission Chairs | Our supporters | National Interfaith Alliance

Brief History

The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado (TIA-CO) was founded in 1998 by a group of clergy and laity who were searching for a way to give voice to Coloradans who wanted to put their faith into action as a force for good in public life.  The idea for TIA-CO had taken root a year earlier following a memorial address by Rabbi Steven Foster to honor Gill Horn, the executive director of the Colorado Council of Churches, who had died a few days earlier.  Rabbi Foster challenged those at the memorial service to continue Rev. Horn’s work of reaching out to people of all faiths and speaking out strongly but with an inclusive voice about problems in Colorado and across the country.

With the 1998 statewide elections on the immediate horizon, TIA-CO launched its new movement with a statewide Code of Civility initiative focusing on the way campaigns were conducted.  When 55 of the candidates signed the Code of Civility pledge to conduct a fair and honest campaign and to refrain from making religion an issue in their individual contests, the alliance began making headlines, followed by telephone calls, checks and volunteers.

In 2000 TIA-CO incorporated in Colorado, obtained 501 (c) (3) status from the Internal Revenue Service, and qualified as an affiliate of The Interfaith Alliance (TIA national). 

Vision, Mission & Values

Vision Statement
TIA-CO envisions a pluralistic civil society in which people and communities of faith uphold and contribute to diversity, respect, justice, and opportunity for all.
Rooted in progressive religious and spiritual values, and through its interfaith programs, civic participation and political activism, TIA-CO demonstrates the human capacity for compassion, cooperation and partnership in the service of the common good.

Mission Statement
TIA-CO promotes justice, religious liberty, and interfaith understanding by organizing and equipping progressive people of faith and goodwill for advocacy, dialogue, and celebration.

Our Values

• Civil and Religious Liberty
• Mutual Respect
• Common Good
  

The business we're in…
We organize people of faith who hold progressive views to:

• foster interfaith understanding, communication, and respect;
  
• engage as an organization in public advocacy;
  
• equip members to be public advocates; and
  
• celebrate our diverse religious traditions and what we have in common.
  

Board Members
Click here for brief biographies of our board members.

Rev. Patrick Hurley, President
Presbyterian Church, Pueblo
Executive Committee; Religious Foundations Project
-Retired Pastor, Presbyterian Church
-Past President of the Pueblo Interfaith Association

Canon Steward Gregory Movesian, Vice President
St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, Denver
Executive Committee; Chair, Development Commission
-Saint John's Episcopal Cathedral, Denver
-Chair, Steering Committee, Abrahamic Initiative
-Board member, The Denver Botanic Gardens, The Webb Waring Institute

Rev. Dr. Phil Campbell, Treasurer
Director of Ministry Studies and Lecturer in Leadership and Congregational Studies at Iliff School of Theology
Executive Committee; Chair, Finance Committee
-Ordained clergyperson in the United Church of Christ
-UCC Ministry Issues Implementation Task Force
-Past moderator of the Rocky Mountain Conference UCC
-Spokesperson for Colorado Clergy for Equality in Marriage

Phyllis Bunting, Arvada United Methodist Church
Chair, Interfaith Commission
-Arvada United Methodist Church
-Director, Kids Discovery Days, Arvada, CO

Rev. Nathan Woodliff-Stanley, Minister of Social Responsibility, Jefferson Unitarian Church, Golden, CO
Chair, Public Policy Commission
-Founding Executive Director of the Mississippi Center for Nonprofits from 1992 to 2002
-Past Board Member for the Mississippi Religious Leaders Conference, the National Council of Nonprofit Associations, the Stanley Foundation (addressing issues of peace and international affairs), Colorado Clergy for Equality in Marriage

Sigrid Higdon, Lakewood
Public Policy Commission
-Member League of Women Voters of Colorado, Legislative Action Committee
-Past Board member, League of Women Voters of Colorado and Jefferson County
-Retired US Dept. of Energy, as Deputy Director, Denver Regional Office

Rabbi Benjamin "Jamie" Arnold, Congregation Beth Evergreen
Public Policy Commission
-First full-time spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Evergreen
-Formerly served Temple Sinai in Buffalo/Amherst, NY, one of the four founding congregations of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
-Lived and studied in both Katmandu and Jerusalem

James K. Hoffmeister, Boulder
Public Policy Commission
-Founding member of Clean Campaigns Colorado
-President, Test Analysis & Development Corporation, 1971 to present

Stanley Kamlet, Jewish National Fund, Denver
Nominating Committee
-Jewish National Fund
-Former Executive Director, Allied Jewish Federation Endowment

Imam Ibrahim Kazerooni, Islamic Muslim Center, Denver 
-Board Member, Abrahamic Initiative, St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral

Sister Maureen McCormack, S.L., Ph. D., Loretto Community, Englewood
Immediate Past President
Executive Committee; Public Policy Commission
-National Board and Executive Committee, Interfaith Alliance
-Loretto Earth Network Coordinating Committee
-Eco-Justice Ministries Board
-St. Mary's Academy Board
-Leaven Publication Board
-Past National President, the Sisters of Loretto
-Former Dean of Students, Loretto Heights College, Denver,

Rev. K. Teena Racheli, Bethany United Methodist Church, Denver
Interfaith Commission; Co-Chair, Interfaith Dialogue Committee
-Pastor, Bethany United Methodist Church, Denver, CO

Nelson Bock, M.Div. Lutheran (ELCA), Denver 
Public Policy Commission; past Organizer, TIA-CO’s participation in the campaign for Referenda C and D
-Our Savior’s Lutheran Church (ELCA)
-Director, Wartburg West, an urban experiential education program of Wartburg College (Iowa)
-Program Staff, Colorado Interfaith Power and Light, an affiliate of the Regeneration Project, a nationwide effort to mobilize faith communities to combat global climate change.
-Metro Organization for People (MOP), grass-roots organizing in low-income neighborhoods

Rev. Charles Mowry, Past President – Advisor, Jefferson Unitarian Church, Golden, CO
Advisor to Executive Committee; Past President and Director TIA-CO
-Jefferson Unitarian Church
-Former fulltime volunteer as TIA-CO Executive Director
-Former National Executive, United Methodist Church
-First Executive Director, Warren Village

Staff

Gwen Lipkie, Administrative Assistant
Gwen joined TIA-CO as their Administrative Assistant in April 2005.  Prior to that she worked part-time with the League of Women Voters of Jefferson County as their office manager, which she continues to do 6 hours a week.
She has been an active volunteer with the League of Women Voters for 16 years, serving on both the Jefferson County Board of Directors for several years and on the State Board of Directors for two years.
Education issues have been a major focus for Gwen.  Even though her children have graduated from high school she continues to serve on the Jefferson County Strategic Planning Committee.

Jeremy Shaver, Director of Outreach and Communications: Jeremy graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from the Iliff School of Theology in May 2005. He is pursuing ordination in the United Church of Christ and serves as the Director of Education and Family Ministries at Christ Congregational Church in southwest Denver. He was previously employed as internal communications director for Banner Health System and as a religion reporter for the Greeley Tribune and Scottsbluff Star-Herald.

In addition to our board and staff, we are pleased to introduce:

Shanan Orndorff, Squeaky Clean Design & Writing: Shanan is a graphic designer and writer whose background includes working with Colorado nonprofits in the areas of communications, public policy advocacy, and grassroots organizing. Shanan designs and edits One Voice, TIA-CO's newsletter, and designed and maintains the TIA-CO website.

Mandy Rigg, Mandy Rigg Consulting, Inc.: Mandy Rigg has been TIA-CO’s fund raising/organizational development consultant since the summer of 2005. She is working with the Board of Directors and TIA-CO volunteers to build membership, add staff, and create a sound financial base for continued growth.  In addition to her professional work with a variety of nonprofits—primarily those with human service and social change/civil rights missions, Mandy serves on the board of Clinica Campesina, a group of community health clinics serving low-income and uninsured patients.

Commission Chairs

Development Commission – Canon Steward Gregory Movesian
Interfaith Commission – Phyllis Bunting
Public Policy Commission – Rev. Nathan Woodliff-Stanley
Community Outreach Commission – to be appointed
Communications Commission – To be appointed

Our Supporters

We are grateful to the following financial supporters:

National Interfaith Alliance