History

Faith Beyond Walls began as a forward-thinking vision of three faith leaders in the community - Rev. B.T. Rice, Rabbi Mark Shook and Rev. Dr. John Anderson. In preparation for Pope John Paul II's Pastoral visit in January 1999, these three leaders and their organizations were challenged to create a program from the faith community that would have a meaningful, measurable impact on the quality of life in our region.

They rose to the occasion and Faith Beyond Walls was conceived as an interfaith volunteer mobilization effort that would provide the needed resources to implement neighborhood projects. Believing that neighborhood residents know their needs best, Faith Beyond Walls would help them to achieve their goals. Not only would neighborhoods be enhanced, but also by working through neighborhood faith-based institutions, the St. Louis region's faith community would be re-energized.

In order to formulate a plan, Faith Beyond Walls applied for and received a grant from the Deaconess Foundation to conduct strategic planning. During summer 1999, a strategic planning team representing the Interfaith Partnership and the Clergy Coalition met jointly to discuss and strategize the future of Faith Beyond Walls. Discussions were spirit-filled, comical, enlightening, frustrating and engaging, but always centered upon one common focus: how to best improve the quality of life the residents of the St. Louis region.

In preparation for the strategic planning sessions, Vector Communications was hired as the strategic planning and program development specialist. Prior to the first meeting, Vector Communications conducted extensive interviews with neighborhood leaders of the nine Sustainable Neighborhoods. The purpose of these interviews was to glean ideas about possible neighborhood projects. After collecting that information, the team met five times to discuss their vision, mission and strategic issues. From those discussions, a strategic plan, which includes six strategic issues, was developed. Faith Beyond Walls' strategic issues are funding, relationship building, internal management, program depth and breadth, public relations and marketing and evaluation.

The St. Louis Clergy Coalition is an interdenominational association of clergy persons who are interested in the unity, fellowship, and growth of ministers and bring to bear the resources of the church as it faces social, economic, and political problems of the African-American community.

The Interfaith Partnership of Metropolitan St. Louis is made up of denominations, congregations, and individuals from 23 faith communities. The Interfaith Partnership works to provide a timely voice and visible presence of the religious community by bringing together people of faith for dialogue and celebration; to communicate what is happening in social ministry; and to identify needs and stimulate responses.

Members of the Strategic Planning Team
Sister Betty Brucker, Catholic Community Charities
Bridget Flood, Incarnate Word Foundation
Mark Hayes, St. Louis 2004
Rev. Courtney Jones, Pleasant Grove Baptist Church
Dale Knight, Interfaith Partnership Board
Rev. Sylvester Laudermill, St. Peter's AME Church
Bishop Howard Nelson, Church of Jesus Christ LDS
Rev. Dr. Robert Nowlin, St. Louis Metro Baptist Association
Rev. Doug Petty, Fresh Start Bible Church
Rev. B.T. Rice, New Horizon Seven Day Christian Church
Rev. Dr. Paul Schlapbach, UMC Missouri Conference
Rabbi Mark Shook, Temple Israel
Rev. C.V. Smith, Progressive Baptist Church
Barbara Russell, Interfaith Partnership
Rev. Ronald Vail, Bibleway Baptist Church
Judith Wells, Church Women United
Christopher White, Clergy Coalition

Never before has man had such a great capacity to control his own environment, to end hunger, poverty and disease, to banish illiteracy and human misery. We have the power to make the best generation of mankind in the history of the world. — President John F. Kennedy