IRVINE – Police officers, African Americans, Christians, Muslims, Mormons, Sikhs and Jews. On Wednesday morning, they all sat down at Christ Our Redeemer African American Episcopal Church to talk to about the issues that concern them the most today – race, religion, fair policing and implicit bias.
This was the fourth meeting of the Orange County Sheriff Department’s Interfaith Advisory Council, which was formed in January to mobilize diverse faith communities and engage with the Sheriff to have an impact on policy, improve mutual understanding and develop relationships in the community.
Sheriff Sandra Hutchens said the Council – a key project of the OC Human Relations Commission represented by 51 members and 16 religions and denominations – has accomplished much during its brief existence.
“We’ve forged relationships, we understand each other’s faith better and we know that there is much more that unites us than divides us,” she said. “We’re powerful enough to deal with whatever happens.”
On Aug. 13, the members of the Council led by Christ Our Redeemer and its pastor, the Rev. Mark Whitlock, will hold a Solidarity March at the Irvine Spectrum featuring Black Lives Matter, police, faith leaders and community organizations. The march will be followed by a summit at the church.
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