Charleston Interreligious Council
Who is CIC?
The Charleston Interreligious Council (formerly the Christian Jewish Council of Greater Charleston) is an organization that seeks to build bridges of understanding to promote sensitivity, tolerance, respect, and fellowship among religious groups.
Founded in 1979, a group of pastors and Rabbis decided to gather in their homes to facilitate conversation and better understand each other’s faiths, thus creating a space of respect and harmony.
Decades later, after facilitating dialogue beyond the Christian and Jewish traditions, the board of directors decided to change the name of the organization. They needed a new name that better represented the Council’s work and its mission, including the broader diversity of religious traditions in Charleston. In 2018 the board voted to change its name to the Charleston Interreligious Council.
The work of the CIC is expanding through programs and events daily. We welcome you to join us as we grow and learn about the history and the diversity of Charleston. There are many ways to get involved in our work. Please learn more by clicking on our Get Involved link.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to seek to build bridges of understanding to promote sensitivity, tolerance, respect, and fellowship among religious groups in Charleston. It fulfills this mission by:
• Conducting, sponsoring and/or supporting interreligious events, service oriented projects and activities.
• Increasing public awareness of interreligious issues and shared concerns, and creating opportunities for better understanding
• Promoting frank and open dialogue among faith traditions in which each person remains loyal to his or her own essential faith commitment while recognizing the other person’s integrity and uniqueness.
The CIC also addresses issues of human rights and human dignity espoused by faith traditions. It opposes all forms of prejudice, intolerance, discrimination, racism, and the misuse of religion for political purposes.
The CIC is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, and educational purposes under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Board of Directors
Dena Fokas Moses CIC President Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
Dr. Brennan Keegan CIC Vice President
College of Charleston Religious Studies Department
Rev. Ed Kosak CIC Secretary
Jeffrey Elliot Fleming CIC Treasurer Unitarian Church in Charleston
Sandra Brett Synagogue Emanu-El
Brandon Fish Charleston Jewish Federation
Jeffrey Elliot Fleming Unitarian Church in Charleston
Dr. David Goltra Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Paula Dezzutti Hewlette
Dr. Ghazala Javed
Central Mosque of Charleston
Rev. Demett Jenkins The International African American Museum Royal Missionary Baptist Church
Rev. Palmer Kennedy
Porter-Gaud School
Dr. Randhir Makkar Sikh Community of Charleston
Rev. Heather Lynn Mann Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism
Rev. Jeremy Rutledge Circular Congregational Church
Dr. Elijah Siegler College of Charleston Religious Studies Department Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim
Shaila Shroff Hindu Temple of Charleston
Dr. Karim Soliman
Central Mosque of Charleston
Saundra Upchurch Baha’i Community of Charleston
Jacqueline Varner Roper St. Francis Healthcare
If you are interested in learning more about the CIC and possibly joining our Board of Directors, please contact us at info@cicouncil.org.