The Oak Ridge Ministerial Association, founded in the year 1968, has enjoyed a fulfilling tenure of fellowship, ministry, and public service. As leaders of our faith community, we desire an earnest renewal by again affirming our common ground as “living witnesses for the good” in our city and larger community.
With complete freedom to remain true to our unique faiths and callings, we are able to affirm the following with one united voice:
Our work is to promote religious cooperation and compassionate service in order to foster a culture of peace, justice, and love in our community; and to promote religion, faith, and spirituality as essential avenues toward enhancing our community’s well-being.
We respect the diversity among us and the freedom of all to worship according to our respective traditions and understandings.
Realizing together the powerful role that religion plays in American life, we likewise commit ourselves to its protection, believing that government must not favor nor discriminate against any citizen or group because of religious faith.
Though we may vary in some of our views on morality and ethics, the activities of this group are intended to provide opportunities for individuals to live out their faith in common in the public arena. At the same time, no individual member is obligated to affirm or participate in any ministry, statement, or action of this association enacted in response to the many challenges in our community.
Regarding these challenges, we believe that
Our community and its citizens prosper and thrive when we are free from addictions and vices of all kinds.
Our community and its citizens deserve to be free from crime and violence of all kinds, especially violence affecting women and children.
Our community and its citizens, especially its children, must be able to obtain basic standards of living, such as adequate housing, food, clothing, healthcare, education, and access to safe places.
Our community and its citizens deserve to be treated fairly and to enjoy the rights to which they are entitled. The faith community, government, school system, business sector, and all who long for a healthy community have the shared responsibility of assuring that such is a reality.
As the Oak Ridge Ministerial Association, diverse in beliefs and values, we join together to seek the best ways to minister to one another and our shared community, because the work is bigger than we can accomplish on our own.
“Connecting in friendship to minister to our community”