This week is Interfaith Week and on Monday, Top Church in Dudley organised for 13 religious leaders from across Dudley Borough to come together at the Town Hall. Representatives from the Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and Christian communities all attended the reception.
Curate at Top Church, Calum Burke, said: “Over the past 18 months, there have been very few opportunities for different faiths to meet in person, so we felt it was important in Inter Faith Week to find space to allow that to happen. It was a chance for us to hear each other’s experiences of the pandemic, how our communities coped and how the faith groups continued to serve. We were also keen to explore how we might work together going forward.”
The reception included food generously provided by the Dudley Borough Interfaith Network with the three co-chairs of the group all present. A candle was jointly lit by James Treasure, Vicar of Top Church and Mina Patel, Chairperson of Shree Krishna Temple in Dudley, and the group held a minute’s silence for those who had lost their lives during the pandemic, providing an opportunity to reflect together.
“There was also plenty of time for more informal chat; for people to catch up as well as form new relationships” continued Calum. “All those present were keen to learn from each other and work more closely together and we hope to meet up again in the new year, as well as arrange visits between our different places of worship.”
Interfaith Week runs from 14 – 21 November. Find out more
