Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence


			FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 28, 2001 COLUMBUS COALITION AGAINST FAMILY VIOLENCE CREATES FAITH COMMUNITY TASK FORCE (Columbus) – The Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence today announced that religious leaders representing the area’s major faiths will form a working group to address family violence in our community. Bishop James A. Griffin of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus will serve as the chair of the new Faith Community Task Force. Faith leaders plan to target local youth to help them avoid or break out of a cycle of violence. One of the task force’s initial activities will be to plan and implement a Break the Silence Interfaith Youth Forum, as a follow up to last fall’s Break the Silence Interfaith Clergy Forum. “Family violence is a problem that knows no boundaries. It affects all faiths and people from all walks of life. We are working to empower congregations to address it within the contexts of their own faiths as well as targeting young people to be catalysts of change in their congregations,” Bishop Griffin said. The Faith Community Task Force’s creation is a result of the Break the Silence Interfaith Clergy Forum that was held in October 2000. At the forum, local faith leaders learned about successful strategies for addressing family violence in their religious communities and signed a declaration to speak out against family violence. Other Faith Community Task Force members include: Reverend Timothy Clarke, First Church of God Reverend Alvin Hadley, Metropolitan Area Council of Churches Bishop Callon Holloway, Jr., South Ohio Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Mark Huddy, Catholic Diocese of Columbus, Department of Social Concerns Dr. Mazhar Jalil, Islamic Foundation of Central Ohio Reverend Susan Kyser, Children’s Hospital Pastoral Staff Reverend Ron Murdock, Zion Lutheran Church Rabbi Arthur Nemitoff, Temple Israel Bishop Bruce Ough, United Methodist Church West Ohio Conference Office Reverend Gwyn Stetler, Trinity United Methodist Church Reverend Keith Troy, New Salem Missionary Baptist Church Reverence Jesse Wood, Love Zion Baptist Church “The members of the Faith Community Task Force are committed to providing to other faith leaders in Central Ohio the tools they need to help families. Research shows victims of family violence often turn to their religious leaders in times of crisis, but that these leaders feel ill equipped to help them. The Faith Community Task Force is working to help all congregations address the issue of family violence,” said Coalition Executive Director Karen Days. The task force’s other activities include Break the Silence Sabbath Weekend, held January 19-21, 2001, a follow up effort to continue the work of the Interfaith Forum. Congregations heard a unified “no tolerance” message about family violence from their faith leaders. Its other major activity is training in the Catholic Diocese of Columbus, led by Bishop Griffin. More than 3,000 parish and diocesan staff members are receiving training on the identification, intervention and prevention of family violence. Founded by Mrs. Abigail Wexner in 1998, The Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence’s mission is to promote a community culture that supports victims and does not tolerate family violence – a pervasive crime that hurts everyone. The Coalition is organized around five task forces – each focused on strategies designed to create systemic change. These task forces are: Business/Public Education, Faith Community, Health Care, Legal Justice System and Victim Services. The Coalition is located at 700 Children’s Drive, Columbus, Ohio, 43205, (614) 722-5985. Current Press Releases 2000 Press Releases 1999 Press Releases