Tulsa native, activist Cornel West helps Oklahoma faith coalition welcome new name, era

An Oklahoma faith coalition ushered in a new era and a new name with activist and Tulsa native Cornel West on hand to provide inspiration for the rewards and challenges ahead.

The faith-based nonprofit Oklahoma Conference of Churches changed its name to Oklahoma Faith Network, announcing the new moniker at the group's recent "No Hate in the Heartland" 50th Anniversary Gala at the Skirvin Hotel.

In a passionate speech, the Rev. Shannon Fleck said the conference of churches was founded 50 years ago as an ecumenical organization to increase dialogue and understanding among Christian denominations. She said "faith network" is a fitting way to describe the coalition now because its membership has expanded to include interfaith houses of worship, secular nonprofits and corporations.

"So in effect, we have created, amongst this room and beyond, the largest and most diverse faith network in the state of Oklahoma," Fleck said.

In his keynote address, West, the Dietrich Bonhoeffer chair at Union Theological Seminary, applauded the idea of a faith network on a mission to unify and spread love while fighting against hate ideologies and oppression. The grandson of a Baptist minister, he seemed to preach at times, often sprinkling his words with humor. His message was consistent throughout: There is a need for good people to combat the persistent divisiveness of the current times with love.

"You don't have to give up your Christian faith to love your Muslim brother, your Jewish brothers and sisters, your Buddhist brothers," West said. "If the kingdom of God is within you, then everywhere you go, you ought to leave a little bit of heaven behind you."

Founded in 1972, the faith coalition includes mainline denominations like the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma United Methodist Conference, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church USA and United Church of Christ, as well as other faith groups and individual churches.

The organization has raised its statewide profile in recent years by joining movements like the Justice for Julius Jones Coalition, which began as a faith movement, and other high profile initiatives. Fleck said this was intentional because "it was time to raise our voices a little bit" by creating an anti-racism and anti-discrimination theological statement in 2020 that launched the faith coalition's "No Hate in the Heartland" campaign.

On controversial, lightning rod issues such as reproductive rights and protecting LGBTQ individuals against discrimination, the organization has often taken stands decidedly more liberal than some of the conservative faith groups in Oklahoma.

The coalition's liberal assertiveness in a decidedly red state has garnered negative pushback from some quarters but Fleck said the faith organization is not backing down now.

"God knows that there are plenty of people raising their voices in the exact opposite of what we preach, but here we are, coming together," she said.

"What we've found is that more and more people are attaching strings to the love of God. So we're on a journey, my friends, to cut some strings — strings turn people into puppets," she said. "We aren't into puppetry."

Fleck said the faith network is encouraging others to do the same to make Oklahoma a better place.

"It can't be just the faith communities," she said. "It has to be all of us coming together with a united moral voice saying this is not OK. The rise of antisemitism is not OK. The blaming of the Muslim community is not OK. This is not a Christian nation, this is a nation where Christians just happen to live."

Meanwhile, West's address added a complimentary exclamation point to the gala's overarching "No Hate in the Heartland" theme. The author of such books as "Race Matters" and "Democracy Matters," he is the former professor of the practice of public philosophy at Harvard University and professor emeritus at Princeton University. He is a Harvard graduate who obtained a master's and Ph.D. from Princeton University.

He said white supremist ideology remains a persistent challenge that must be reckoned with, along with fascism and there is a need for an "anti-fascist coalition." He encouraged the crowd to continue to love their neighbor, serve their communities and spread goodwill, despite opposition.

"Don't get discouraged — pass this joy along," West said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Conference of Churches change name, welcome new era