Radio show to feature C.B. clergy

PAULA BEEBE AND STEPHANIE OGREN
Staff Writers

Local clergy will soon take part in a ground-breaking radio program.

Theresa Blake works at her computer at home preparing for an upcoming broadcast.

Starting Sept. 8, OurFaiths.org, a multi-faith education group and Web site, will be the hosts of a radio program called "Faith to Faith" on KKAR 1290 AM.

The program will feature a variety of discussion topics held by panels made up of religious leaders from various faith backgrounds.

At least two Council Bluffs clergy will be part of the program. The Rev. Marvin Arnpriester of Broadway United Methodist Church and the Rev. Evan Williams of the Broadway Christian Church will take part in discussions.

Arnpriester said he looked forward to a new communication medium for faith.

"To just discuss the issues that confront people today as they emerge," he said.

According to OurFaiths.org co-coordinator Theresa Blake, the radio will be the first of its kind in the Omaha and Council Bluffs metro area.

"I've looked around on the Internet to see if there's anything else like this anywhere and I haven't found anything yet," Blake said. "So it's pretty exciting to think it will be right here."

The program will be broadcast on Sundays from 1 to 2 p.m. It will be heard in Pottawattamie County in Iowa and Sarpy, Douglas and Washington counties in Nebraska.

"It's a work that is just getting started," Arnpriester said.

Blake said the program is part of OurFaith.org's overall mission.

"The whole idea is to educate and teach people about other faiths," she said. "We don't have to agree with other peoples' faiths but we should at least respect them and their right to believe something different."

The "Faith to Faith" program will feature representatives from Christianity, Islam, and Judaism on a weekly basis and on a rotating basis, members from Hindu, Baha'i, and Buddhism.

"We'll have a little bit of everything," Blake said. "I'm working on having a University of Nebraska at Omaha professor who's an expert in Native American faiths. It's also about cultural diversity and making people aware of other faiths and cultures."

Blake said she contacted the clergy through phone calls.

"I just started calling people," she said. "The first person I spoke to was the director of the Islamic Center of Omaha and he was very supportive and wanted to be involved. And most of the other clergy have been very enthusiastic and want to be a part of it."

The show will feature a moderator overseeing a discussion of topics during the first half hour of the show.

"Each of the clergy will speak on a certain topic and what views their faith takes with it," Blake said. "The second half hour we'll be taking phone calls and e-mails from listeners."

Blake said topics will include everything from holidays to domestic violence to forgiveness.

Now that the show has been established, Blake is now seeking commercial sponsorship.

"The whole show has been started up through donations," she said. "But we could still use a lot of help through corporate sponsors. Our one sponsor so far is Atchley Ford in Omaha so we're still looking for more."

"We just want to get the word out there and keep plugging away with it."

For more information about the "Faith to Faith" program, contact Blake at 325-4359 or (402) 669-4692 or e-mail at tblake@ourfaiths.org or visit the Web site www.ourfaiths.org.