CONVENE  Verb

  1. To come together; to meet; to unite.
  2. To come together, as in one body or for a public purpose; to meet; to assemble.

Webster’s 1913 Dictionary

TBA






Minnesota Multifaith Speakers Network  Coordinators: Cynthia Bronson-Sweigert, MnMN volunteer; Sally Abrams, JCRC: Tamim Saidi, IRG


Multifaith Leadership Seminar at the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies  Coordinators: Ali Chamseddine, University of St. Thomas; Hans Gustafson, Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies, U St Thomas; Jen Kilps, MnMN;  Pooja Bastodkar, MnMN/MN Hindu Society; Danielle Clausnitzer, MnMN/Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality


Higher Education Interfaith Faculty, Staff, Chaplains  Coordinators: Hans Gustafson, Jay Phillips Center; Deanna Thompson; St. Olaf; Andrew Tix, Normandale Community College; Matthew Maruggi, Augsburg University; Marty Stortz, Augsburg


Lutheran Center for Faith, Values and Community at St. Olaf College  Interns doing communications about interfaith work in MN; Coordinators: Deanna Thompson, Director of the Lutheran Center; Peter Schattauer, Associate Director


Augsburg Interfaith Institute  Ongoing collaboration with Director Prof. Najeeba Sayeed particularly on July 20, 2023 event Coordinating a Multifaith Response to Hate Based Discrimination and Violence in Minnesota see Report.

At the heart of Minnesota Multifaith Network’s (MnMN’s) mission is the understanding that relationship and community building have the potential to transform individuals and society. MnMN was founded on the shared conviction that there is great untapped potential, within and among Minnesota's wide variety of faith communities, to help our troubled world and communities. We believe a key to unlocking much of that potential lies in getting to know one another across lines of difference of religion and belief, and building relationships and finding ways to cooperate with others and strengthen efforts for the common good.


MnMN convenes large and small groups of people (sometimes once, sometimes over long periods of time) in order to facilitate relationship building. By forming connections with people who touch our lives, we can meet and welcome what is different or other in that individual. Relationships are essential for discovering our shared humanity. Building relationships help create the space needed wherein we can encounter what we don’t know or don’t understand. It provides a space for learning and processing new information and ideas. Relationships help make others real for us which in turn illuminates what is real in ourselves. They can illuminate our own presuppositions and prejudices allowing for growth and transformation.

MnMN CONVENES AROUND 5 BASIC THEMES:


1.  Leadership development & training

anti-racism training, conflict resolution approaches

2.  Showcasing a Member or Partner organization’s work

MnMN Network Council typically invite Partner Organizations to share their work at meetings

3.  Gathering around shared “Communities of Practice”

chaplains, educators, faith leaders, executives, emerging leaders

4.  Topics of shared interest

anti-racism work, religious freedom, rise in Christian Nationalism

5.  Potential and ongoing project collaboration

MnMN Speakers Network, MnMN & the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies at the University of St. Thomas'  joint Interfaith Fellows Program

The Time is Now! Strengthening Engagement, Understanding, and Equity for All!

House of Hope Presbyterian Church, November 6th, 2025

Minnesota is home to a growing diversity  of religious, spiritual and philosophical beliefs and practices.  This diversity enriches our state and offers precious opportunities for learning to those of us who are  interested in the sacred.  Here in Minnesota, you will find temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras, sanghas and communities of people exploring, learning about, and living out their own religious, philosophical, and spiritual lives all the while engaging pluralism.


And yet, our nation is in disarray. We are divided and polarized.  The opposition to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is antithetical to the Minnesota Multifaith Network’s (MnMN’s) mission and to the core teachings of our religious, spiritual, and philosophical values. It challenges our commitment to build hospitable, just and caring communities. 


For this year’s 6th Annual Conference, “The Time is Now: Strengthening Engagement, Understanding and Equity for ALL,” the Minnesota Multifaith Network is focusing on how the current moment is affecting our daily lives, and  our communities. At the same time, we must together search for the opportunities that the present affords. 

Learn More

Gathering For Religious Pluralism

Each November, MnMN hosts our largest event of the year: Our Multifaith Conference. Every year a theme is chosen highlighting an important theme of religious pluralism and a message that we would like to bring into our communities. Our dedicated team assembles faith leaders from across Minnesota to host panels, workshops, and conversations. We invite you to join us in forging a stronger world for us all through stonger community. 


Read what the MPR's Talking Sense had to say about MnMN's 2024 Conference!

2024


5th Annual Conference: A Call of Justice and Healing: The Role of the Multifaith Community in Minnesota in Times of Division, Distrust & Trauma

Minnesota Hindu Society’s Temple, November 14th

MnMN gathered for its 5th Annual Convening, A Call of Justice and Healing: he Role of the Multifaith Community in Minnesota in Times of Division, Distrust & Trauma, where voices from Minnesota’s interfaith community came together to share insights on bridging divides and fostering trust.


Together, we explored how our diverse backgrounds can unite us in the face of trauma. Powerful discussions unfolded as community leaders and faith representatives shared personal stories of resilience. By engaging in dialogue, we affirmed our commitment to healing and justice, recognizing the shared responsibility we have to support one another. 


Inspiring panels and workshops encouraged attendees to take actionable steps toward social justice. Together, we brainstormed initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes of division and distrust, empowering individuals to be catalysts for positive change.


As the conference came to a close, we left with renewed hope and determination. The multifaith community is poised to play a crucial role in fostering understanding and healing in Minnesota. Let’s carry this momentum forward and continue to work together for justice and peace.MnMN Conferences are focused on relationship and community building. 


2023


4th Annual Conference: A Place of Welcome:  A Multifaith Gathering on Practicing Hospitality in Minnesota

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, November 9th

2023's MnMN Convening invited us to consider the concept of hospitality and what that means for our faith and secular communities throughout the state of Minnesota. 

During this convening, leaders and practitioners of Minnesota’s diverse religious communities, interfaith leaders, and young people gethered to discuss and celebrate how different religious and belief traditions practice hospitality.  

As a "keynote experince" this event culminated in a Langar meal prepared and served by the Sikh Society of Minnesota. “The Langar is a hallmark of the Sikh faith.  It is designed to uphold the principle of equality between all people of the world regardless of religion, caste, color, creed, age, gender, or social status; to eliminate the extreme poverty in the world, and to bring about the birth of "caring communities". In addition to the ideals of equality, the tradition of Langar expresses the ethics of sharing, community, inclusiveness, and oneness of all humankind. "..the Light of God is in all hearts."  It is this act of seva, or selfless service, which distinguishes Langar as an unparalleled act of hospitality practiced around the world.


2022


3rd Annual Conference: Sacred Creation in Crisis: Strengthening the Multifaith Response in Minnesota

October 12 

2022's Conference focused on the theme of Sacred Creation in Crisis: Strengthening the Multifaith Response in Minnesota. The conference was truly a community effort that harnessed the energy of over a hundred speakers, performers, organizational partners, MnMN leadership and volunteers. We are humbled by this community’s commitment to learning about other faith traditions and finding common ground for acting together.  


Featuring

  • Kelly Sherman Conroy, Ph.D. - Theologian and member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe who dedicates her time to social justice, racial reconciliation, trauma and healing, Indigenous leadership, and family ministry
  • Buff Grace – Director of Faith Networks, Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light who helps congregations, faith communities and area networks take bold climate action
  • Other faith leaders - from diverse faith traditions including Hindu, Islam, Judaism, Christian, Jain, Buddhist and more
  • Artistic and ritual performances - traditional Hindu dance, Tibetan chanting, song and open prayer

Read testimonials from the 2022 conference here.

MnMN CONFERENCE

More events!

Check out other events from our partners in our NEWSLETTER and find more ways to get involved on our COLLABORATE   page!


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SUGGESTION FORM

to let us know what kind of programming you'd like to see!



PAST CONVENINGS

For a complete list of past MnMN Convenings, please visit this page.

Highlights

2025 Culture of Encounters Ideas Festival

University of St. Thomas, April 6-11, 2025

The Culture of Encounter Ideas Festival at the University of St. Thomas, brought together community members, Minnesotans, global thinkers, students, and cultural enthusiasts to engage diverse perspectives, foster cross-cultural dialogue, and build leadership for the common public goods. - Read More Here


Multifaith Leadership and Engagement in a Fractured World Workshop

St. Olaf College, March 3, 2024

In partnership with Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies and in collaboration with the Lutheran Center, St. Olaf College and the Augsburg Interfaith Institute

This third annual interfaith leadership workshop sponsored by MnMN and the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies at the University of St. Thomas, we welcomed keynote dialogue speakers Rabbi Dr. Rachel Mikva, Rabbi Herman Schaalman Chair in Jewish Studies, InterReligious Institute Senior Faculty Fellow at Chicago Theological Seminary and Professor. Najeeba Syeed, El-Hibri Endowed Chair, Professor/Executive Director of the Augsburg University Interfaith Institute. This free daylong workshop held at St. Olaf College allowed participants to explore what it means to engage across religious differences in a time of heightened fracturing globally and locally. Attendees learned from practitioners, scholars, and leaders about developing skills to cultivate connection through storytelling, deepen understanding of how trauma impacts engaging with religious and spiritual practices, approach challenging conversations in person and online, and to develop greater self-awareness for leadership in religiously diverse societies. - Read more here


A Silent Vigil for Peace 

Stone arch Bridge in Minneapolis, December 30, 2023

This vigil was a solemn moment for those gathered to reflect on pain and on what continues to be grave human tragedy. It offered a light of hope as a statement that Minnesota has no place for anti-Jewish or anti-Muslim bias and hate. It was an active expression of unity and solidarity for the sacredness of all human life. Bridges are symbolic of many things: connection, journeys, union, transition, understanding. Here is a clip our journey and some words of participants who met and walked together across the bridge in silence as the cold waters of the Mississippi flowed beneath. - Read more here


Coordinating a Multifaith Response to Hate Based Discrimination and Violence in MN  

Augsburg University, July 20, 2023

Sponsored by MnMN, Augsburg Interfaith Institute and Shoulder to Shoulder, people of faith, community representatives, and organizers who are active in countering and preventing hate in Minnesota gathered to meet and build relationships with peers across traditions, share efforts underway and resources available, and brainstorm new ways to act together. The questions the group gathered to ask were: 

  • What do Minnesotans need to hear from its diverse religious leaders on these and other issues?
  • What grassroots work is already going on to prevent and respond to hate, divisiveness and discrimination?
  • How could efforts, current and new, be synergized to make a significant impact in Minnesota’s communities?  

Read the resulting report,  Building a Hate Free Minnesota here