Joe has been involved in Interfaith ministry for over a decade. Learn more about his story here. Currently, he serves on the Steering Committee and chairs the Interfaith Dialogue Committee of the Treasure Coast Interfaith Community. Joe’s goals are to…
- Promote interfaith friendship, dialogue, and education on a grassroots level.
- Build a network of Baptist churches dedicated to building bridges of hope with people and communities of other faiths.
- Educate churches and people of faith about dialogue and world religions, as well as provide resources for peace initiatives and community enrichment.
- Empower churches to be the presence of Christ in a diverse world.
Joe’s philosophy of interfaith work is based on his extensive study of the biblical theme of hospitality in Scripture, as well as research on spiritual friendship, a historic- and biblical-based spiritual practice in which people from diverse backgrounds come together for the common journey of listening, understanding, and peacemaking.
The Mission of the Treasure Coast Interfaith Community is to seek understanding, build strong relationships, and honor our unity in relationship with our diversity. The objectives of the TCIC include: (1) Learn from each other and study with each other to generate greater understanding among each other; (2) Create ritual moments through collaboration, nurturing spiritual connections while honoring our different traditions and cultures in community; (3) Bring shared values of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, empathy, faithfulness, justice, compassion, and respect into the wider community through service and action; and (4) Build bridges of empathy and trust so that we stand in solidarity with each other in adversity.
Joe also served as the Congregational Liaison for the Interfaith Task Force of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia from 2015-2016.
“When it comes to our Baptist witness to those of non-Christian traditions, the Interfaith Task Force of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia has found that our greatest witness is to be peacemakers among these whose traditions and persuasions differ from ours. With respect and appreciation of other people’s spiritual perspective on life, we offer simple acts of kindness and small gestures of friendship and let the Holy Spirit use such a witness to His glory and for His benefit. Because of that friendship, doors, long closed to Baptists, are being opened to us!” —Wayne Martin, Chair, Interfaith Task Force of the CBF-GA
Joe LaGuardia 