Five local religious leaders will come together Thursday evening for the “Faith Moves Mountains: Burbank Faith Forum,” a free interfaith panel discussion open to everyone and aimed at bridging connections between the city’s diverse faith communities.
The event, scheduled for Nov. 13 at Fletcher Jones Auditorium at Woodbury University, grew out of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church’s 70th anniversary celebration and a desire to engage more broadly with Burbank residents of all faiths.
“There’s a sense that a lot of the faith communities in Burbank could be more connected,” said Dennis Ehling, the forum’s organizer and longtime St. Francis Xavier parishioner.
Ehling, a Burbank resident, said the forum addresses a broader cultural hesitation around discussing faith’s role in daily life.
The interfaith panel includes Prof. Junaid Aasi from Burbank Islamic Center, Rev. Brandon Johnson of First Christian Church of Burbank, Rabbi Mark Sobel who serves as Burbank Police Chaplain and sits on the OHALAH LA Board of Directors, Deacon Jaime Abrera from St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, and Rev. Paul Clairville of Westminster Presbyterian Church.
Ehling will moderate the discussion, which begins with each panelist spending about six minutes addressing open-ended questions about how their faith influences their daily decisions and community engagement in Burbank.
“It’s my hope that people of faith will be inspired by hearing how others’ faith affects how they live, or how they want to live,” Ehling said.
Following the panel presentations, attendees can submit written questions for a community Q&A session. The format is designed to encourage thoughtful dialogue rather than debate.
Ehling hopes the forum will inspire individual congregations to host similar interfaith dialogues, creating “ongoing conversation over the coming months” across Burbank’s religious communities.
The forum runs 75 to 90 minutes with socializing afterward. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the program beginning at 7 p.m. The Fletcher Jones Auditorium seats 250, with additional seating available outside if needed.
No advance registration is required, though organizers welcome RSVPs for planning purposes at faithforum.bbocek1113@yahoo.com. Parking is available on the Woodbury University campus at 7500 N. Glenoaks Blvd., with security directing attendees.
The organizing committee includes Barbara Bocek, Mauro Diaz, Gloria Salas, Rev. Johnson and Rabbi Sobel, who helped shape the event’s format during months of planning that began in April.
The Burbank Islamic Center has already promoted the event on its website’s landing page, and organizers sent invitations to faith communities throughout the city.
Whether this becomes the first of many such gatherings or stands alone as a single community conversation, Ehling believes the forum serves an important purpose in a time when faith and politics often seem inseparable.
“I think it’s important for folks to get together and… be open about why it matters for us to have faith,” he said.
