Dear Congregations and Delegates and Partners,
The Board of Directors of the Interfaith Federation of Greater Baton Rouge is excited to announce the hiring of a new Executive Director, The Rev. Jonathan Parks.
Jon, as he prefers to be called, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience well-suited to help us achieve our mission and objectives. Jon has both Master of Divinity and Master of Church Music degrees along with training in Community Health Evangelism and Applied Positive Psychology in his educational background. Jon comes to us after eight years of experience working as Field Personnel in Kosice, Slovakia with Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Global Missions. Jon’s multi-faceted ministry among the Roma people in Slovakia included educating people of all ages, community development, and building partnerships with individuals and churches both locally as well as in the United States. His previous work with ecumenical groups and mission experiences will be a valuable asset in enhancing the Federation’s outreach efforts in our community.
Jon’s statement of calling mirrors the Federation’s vision and mission to cultivate Unity, Justice, and Peace and to broaden and deepen interfaith understanding and cooperation to reduce human suffering in Greater Baton Rouge. As our Executive Director, Jon is excited to lead our collaborative work to expand the outreach, educational, and spiritual programs of the Federation.
On a personal note, Jon is married to The Rev. Tanya Parks who is an associate pastor at University Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. Jon and Tanya are the parents of two teenage daughters, Abigail and Kaitlyn.
Jon is eager to become acquainted with our member congregations and community as we begin our work together. Feel free to contact Jon to meet with your congregation, clergy, or board leaders or just to have a cup of coffee. We are planning some events for 2022 which will present opportunities to meet and work with Jon; therefore, please check the Federation website and social media for further information during the coming weeks.
Finally, I want to express my gratitude to all Federation members and partners for their patience during the last year as the Board of Directors diligently conducted its executive search. I am equally grateful to the Federation’s Board of Directors for their amazing leadership and service during this interim period, further complicated by the challenges of the pandemic.
Please join us in welcoming Jon as we embark upon this new phase in the life of the Interfaith Federation.
Darrell Moses
President, Interfaith Federation of Greater Baton Rouge Board of Directors
Call Jon: (225) 267-5600
Email Jon: director@ifedgbr.com
