Rev. Dr. Jonathan Brooks is a lifelong resident of Chicago, IL and currently serves as Lead Pastor at Lawndale Christian Community Church and the Chief Inspiration Officer for Lawndale Christian Ministries which includes Lawndale Christian Health Center, Lawndale Christian Development Corporation and Lawndale Christian Legal Center. 

Pastah J, as he is affectionately called, is a sought-after speaker, writer, artist, organizer and community developer.  He has contributed to numerous blogs, articles and books and is the author of the book Church Forsaken: Practicing Presence in Neglected Neighborhoods published by Intervarsity Press.   

Jonathan has a Bachelor of Architecture from Tuskegee University, Master of Arts in Teaching from National Louis University, as well as a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Northern Seminary with an emphasis in Christian Community Development. He is married to Micheál Newman-Brooks, has two beautiful children and lives in the North Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago.

Dr. Rizwan Ali is currently the Senior Imam and Religious Director of the Islamic Center of Naperville. He also serves as the head of the Quran, Arabic and Islamic Studies department at CPSA in Lombard, IL, and is an instructor for Mishkah University.

He attended Islamic Foundation School in Villa Park, IL and completed his Hifdh there as well. After graduation, he attended Benedictine University and obtained his Bachelors Degree in Social Sciences with a minor in Secondary Education.

After completing his undergraduate degree, he moved to Alexandria, Egypt where he studied Arabic and Islamic studies and enrolled in Al-Azhar University. Simultaneously, he completed his master's degree from Saint Xavier University in Curriculum and Instruction as well as his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Creighton University. He holds a degree in Islamic Law from al-Azhar University and has ijazahs in the Qira'ah of Hafs 'an A'asim.

He lives in the Chicagoland suburbs with his wife and three daughters.

Shayda Safapour is a member of the Baha’i Faith and serves as the Baha’i representative on the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago and other interfaith and community organizations.  She has spoken over the years at many interfaith gatherings, including the 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions convening in Chicago.

Shayda is an immigration attorney with a B.A. from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in Boston, and an M.B.A. from Suffolk University School of Management in Boston.  She holds a certificate on Women in Leadership from Harvard University and a certificate on Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University.

Shayda has practiced at several prominent law firms in Chicago and currently serves as a business development manager for the firm of Honigman LLP.  She lives in downtown Chicago with her malshi dog, Asal.

Brent K. Smith currently serves as the President of the Schaumburg Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, overseeing seven congregations in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago.  Brent has held many church leadership positions, including Bishop of The Arlington Heights Ward, and Temple Recorder for the Chicago Illinois and Nauvoo Illinois Temples. 

Professionally, Brent is employed by the Temple Department of the LDS church and oversees the operation of 104 of the church’s temples in the United States and Canada.  Brent’s professional and ecclesiastical responsibilities provide him with a dual perspective on temples, their sacred role in LDS theology, and their profound importance to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Before his employment with the LDS Church, Brent used his education in international finance in management positions with IBM, Motorola, and Google.  Brent and his wife, Amy, are the parents of eight children and one grandchild.

Rev. Richard Fragomeni is a presbyter of the Diocese of Albany, New York, and has been a member of the Catholic Theological Union faculty since 1990.  He serves as Professor of Liturgy and Preaching and Chair of the Department of Word and Worship.  He received his Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology and Masters Degrees at the University of Louvain, Belgium, and additional Masters and Doctor of Philosophy Degrees at The Catholic University of America.

His teaching involves him in Roman Catholic theology, interpretation theory, and poetry. His current work is in the field of word and sacrament: the intersection of symbolic activity and language as it creates insights into the Christian proclamation of grace. Central to this work is a fascination with the power of liturgy and preaching in the transformation of the human heart.

Richard is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Religious Studies at DePaul University. He also serves as the Rector of The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii, an Italian-American spiritual center in Chicago’s historic Little Italy. In addition to his teaching duties he is a preacher of parish missions and gives presentations nationally and internationally on liturgical, sacramental, and catechetical topics.

Elder Andrew Child serves as the Area Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Chicago. The priesthood office of “Seventy” designates a person called by the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be an “especial witness of Jesus Christ.”  Elder Child’s responsibilities include traveling as assigned by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to support and minister to LDS members, leaders, and congregations throughout North America.  Elder Child also has specific area authority overseeing the 82 LDS congregations in the greater Chicago area, including northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana.  Elder Child has held many church leadership positions, including President of the Naperville Illinois Stake and Bishop of Naperville First Ward. 

Professionally, Andrew is a tax manager at BP, where he has worked for over twenty years.  He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Brigham Young University.

Andrew and his wife, Jessica, have lived in Naperville for 25 years.  They are the parents of seven children.

William Buchholtz (Allison) (MAMAAZHI MUKWA) – Conquering Bear

William Buchholtz (Allison), Algonquin/Metis, is a long-time resident of the Chicago area who has been playing and recording music of many genres for five decades. He now performs Native American flute and piano in programming aimed at both children and adults. Bill is primarily known for his ongoing work with numerous churches; interfaith, social justice and environmental groups; museums; and cultural events including PowWows. 

He has released his own CD "The Journey Home," on which he plays both Native American flute and piano, and which features his original songs, and has also appeared on a “Yo Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble”

Pam Caine has over 20 years of experience working with families as a therapist, social worker, educator, advocate, and mentor. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she has served in various leadership roles supporting children, adolescents and women in her congregation. Pam and her husband, Steve, who share a love for skiing, biking and hiking, have been married for 30 years and have four young adult children. They enjoy their empty nest and currently serve as Diplomatic Liaisons for their church to more than 60 countries represented in the Chicago area.

Ranganathan Hemmige grew up in an orthodox family in Mysore, South India. He had a bright academic record with a double master’s degree in the U.S.A. He retired after a successful and productive career in IT executive management.

He learned Sanskrit as a child and participated in many recitals and won awards in debates and contests. He studied numerous scriptures with Vedanta Vidwan late Dr. N.S. Anantha Rangacharya, Bangalore. He is passionate about reciting the Vedas and leading the parayanas at homes and temples. Due to his keen interest in the Vedas and Sanatana Dharma, he does extensive research on these topics, and authors white papers for souvenirs and periodicals. He has toured our Divya Deshams in India extensively and has deep appreciation for the rich temple culture of our motherland.

During the past three decades, he has served as the Religious Chair at Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple of Greater Chicago, organizing major religious events. He lectures very frequently at several interfaith forums, colleges, and special events to educate communities on the Hindu religion. These spiritual experiences have enhanced his knowledge on how to take scriptures written centuries ago and apply them to life today. He teaches religious classes for adults and children. He published a book, to commemorate Bhagavad Ramanuja Acharya’s Millennium in 2017. This publication has received positive feedback and accolades for bringing out the contribution of the great Acharya.

Sri Hemmige lives with his wife Aruna in the Greater Chicago, Illinois, USA. He has a daughter and two sons that are all well accomplished.

Bishop Simon Gordon is the current president of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago.  Since 1989, Bishop Gordon has served as the Senior Pastor of Triedstone Church of Chicago, a Full Gospel Baptist Church, located on the south side of Chicago, IL. In this position, he shepherds a congregation of 3,000, 30 support ministries, and 14 senior pastors who are also responsible for their own congregations.

Bishop Gordon has served as an advisor on the White House Faith-Based Council during the first term of President Barack Obama and with St. Jude’s Cancer Research Children’s Hospital as the Associate of the Sunday of Hope Promotions out of Memphis, TN. He is a member of the Board of Prevention Partnership, Inc. as the Faith Based Chair for HIV Awareness and Substance Abuse Prevention.

Bishop Gordon is a recipient of the prestigious Paul Kelly Service Award, the Path Award twice from the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the United Theological Seminary’s President’s Award.

He is currently a Regent at the Midwest Theology Seminary in Kansas. Bishop Gordon has led over 50 overseas expeditions; and serves as an Instructor for African American Clergy and Educators in Ethiopia, Egypt, Israel, Greece, Turkey, Rome and South Africa.

Bishop Gordon is a professional composer of sacred music, has published many recordings, and performs worldwide.

Professor Hannah Smith is Associate Director at the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University Law School. She received her BA from Princeton University and her JD from BYU Law School (Order of the Coif), where she served as the Law Review’s Executive Editor. Smith was awarded BYU’s Alumni Achievement Award, the Women-in-Law Leadership Award, and the James Madison Award.

She worked for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito and as Becket Law’s Senior Counsel where she secured four landmark Supreme Court victories. During her time at Becket, she represented more than 13 major faith groups including Anglicans, Assemblies of God, Baptists, Catholics, Hindus, Hutterites, Jews, Lutherans, Mormons, Muslims, Russian Orthodox, Santeros, and Sikhs. 

Smith has testified before the U.S. Congress, appeared on national media, and is a sought-after speaker. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Religious Freedom Institute, the African Consortium for Law and Religion Studies, and as Board Secretary for the International Religious Freedom Summit, as well as chair on the JRCLS’s Religious Freedom Committee, and a member with her husband John on the ICLRS International Advisory Council.

Nisan Chavkin was elected in March 2025 as President of the Board of Trustees at Beth Emet The Free Synagogue in Evanston. He and his wife Sarah have been active members there for more than three decades. Chavkin is also a founder and served as the first Chair of the Progressive Chevra Kadisha, a multi-congregation volunteer burial society in Chicago and the northern suburbs.

In March 2025, Chavkin stepped down as executive director of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago which promotes cooperation, understanding, and collaboration among the faith communities of Chicago to advance the common good. Previously he worked at and led Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago, a democracy education organization that provided resources, programs, and professional development for K-12 students and teachers in Chicago, across the United States, and internationally. He began his career with the Chicago and Northern Illinois Region of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, a human relations education and training organization that worked with students, teachers, community organizations, and faith communities.

Chavkin holds a Bachelor of Arts cum laude from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Jewish Thought and History of the Jewish People and also studied at the University of Chicago. A native of Onondaga County, New York, he and his wife live in Evanston and have two adult daughters. Despite many disappointments, he remains a Bears fan.

S.S. Shiva Singh Khalsa, ordained in 1976 and recognized as a leader in the interreligious community and an activist of HIV prevention and care of the aged and infirm. He is a KRI Mentoring Lead Teacher Trainer, E RYT-500, YACEP and President of Spirit Rising Foundation. Since 1971 has taught and lectured on yoga and meditation, spirituality and transformation. Active with the Parliament of the World’s Religions since 1993, and cofounder of Gurdwara Shaib of Chicago, represented Sikh Darma at scores of events including the Chicago Police Multicultural Forum post 9/11. A member of  the Gift of Hope Interfaith Council. Chairperson of the Sikh Dharma Human Rights Commission.

Asayo Koyo Horibe is a Japanese American Buddhist who is a retired Registered Nurse, the mother of three daughters, grandmother of seven and great-grandmother of three. She practices in the American Buddhist tradition and was inducted as a Lay Minister in 2004 in the Kubose Dharma Legacy Tradition. Her journey includes being President of the Buddhist Council of the Midwest, President of the Heartland Sangha, Trustee of the Parliament of World Religions, member of the Evanston Interfaith Clergy, Secretary to the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago, member of the Asian Advisory Board to Secretary of State, Jesse White, Vice Commodore, Social Director and Fleet Captain for the Northwest Sailing Association.