Faithful Witnesses from Stark County support our Haitian neighbors in Springfield, OH

Members of the Interfaith Coalition of Stark County answered the call to action from the Springfield, OH, interfaith community to assist and support our Haitian neighbors who have lost Temporary Protective Status (TPS). Overnight, they have become "illegal", lost their work authorization and jobs, family members, security, safety. They are forced to decide if they will self-deport to an extremely dangerous country, facing severe political and humanitarian collapse, violence, hunger, illness and broken healthcare; or face detention here, or be shackled with ankle monitors until they are deported or imprisoned. Family separation is part of facing these decisions. The U.S. Department of State maintains a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory for Haiti, while the Department of Homeland Security ended Haiti's TPS designation effective July 27, 2026.

Stark County representatives as Faithful Witnesses in Springfield (left to right): Dr. Bryan Hecht, Kathy Michel, Dr. Marcie Groesbeck, Andy Moskowitz, Rabbi David Komerofsky, Lynne Dragomier

Many Springfield Haitians have been detained and/or deported, including two beloved pastors. The removal of the pastors means that Haitians have lost invaluable support and ministry and cannot feel safe going to places of worship. One of the actions performed by Faithful Witnesses on Sunday, August 31, was to be present outside worship venues to monitor and provide a sense of safety so that Haitians could practice their faith with worship.

Rabbi David Komerofsky of Canton Temple Israel, Interfaith Coalition of Stark County Presider, joined the clergy present on Sunday, August 31, leading prayer. (Rabbi David is pictured on the far left in the photo.)

Other activities over several days of action included deportation defense advocacy and packing food boxes to deliver to families in need and afraid to leave their homes. Visitors patronized Haitian businesses who had made the difficult decision to remain open while being at risk of detainment.

On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of people gathered in Springfield City Plaza for a potluck meal, powerful speakers, prayer and a Jericho Walk, taking seven laps around the plaza, echoing the biblical story of the walls of Jericho found in the book of Joshua. The plea voiced during the walk was "Unshackle Springfield."

The Interfaith Coalition of Stark County stays connected with the Springfield interfaith community and will keep you informed of further calls to action. Any members who are interested in organizing a local prayer vigil or other gathering to support Springfield, please let us know at interfaithcoalitionstark@gmail.com

Commemoration Day Honors Our Community’s Civil Rights History

The Interfaith Coalition of Stark County was the proud presenter of the first annual Commemoration Day on March 20, honoring the speech delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. in Canton on March 20, 1964.
We are very grateful for the assistance of our community partners in presenting this powerful, intergenerational educational event, including the Canton City School District, City of Canton, Greater Canton Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, Greater Stark County NAACP, Greater Stark County Urban League, Canton Temple Israel, and Pax Christi of Stark County.

View pictures here

View the story by Charita Goshay in The Canton Repository

George Lancaster Honored at the Greater Canton Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission Mayors' Breakfast

George Lancaster, Pastor of Zion's Temple Church of God and a member of the Interfaith Coalition Council, received the 2026 MLK Service (Religion) Award. It was presented to him at the 33rd annual MLK, Jr. Mayor's Breakfast by Dr. LaTrice Snodgrass and Terrie Lewis, members of the Greater Canton Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission (pictured below).

Pastor Lancaster is a devoted servant leader whose life's work reflects a deep commitment to faith, family and community. He has faithfully served troubled youth and families as a Pastor, Behavior Interventionist, Probation Officer, School Community Worker, Law Enforcement Chaplain, De-Escalation Instructor and Bias Trainer. His ministry and professional service focus on removing non-academic barriers and restoring pathways to healing, stability and purpose. He is a certified facilitator for Parent Project, Incorporated, where he works to strengthen families and transform the lives of youth through guidance, accountability and hope grounded in faith. He is also the Co-Founder and Vice President of the Tyler Scott Lancaster Diabetic Foundation, dedicated to educating communities and raising awareness about diabetes.

The Interfaith Coalition of Stark County is deeply grateful for his service and leadership!

Inaugural Event on Nov. 9 Nourished Our Interfaith Community with Wisdom, Love and Joy

Pastor George Lancaster and his team at Zion’s Temple Church of God in Canton hosted a memorable inaugural event on Sunday, November 9, attended by more than 80 people. The evening included a shared meal, prayer, song, dance worship, celebration of our shared faith values, and an inciteful and challenging presentation by Dr. Nicole Johnson, Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Peacebuilding & Social Justice Program at the University of Mount Union on the intersection of social justice and faith.

As an interfaith community in Stark County, how are we called to nourish nonviolence? How do our common beliefs lead us to stop fear, mistrust, hatred and violence across many current divides? The “inaugural event” of the Interfaith Coalition of Stark County brought us together to help create a collective nonviolent voice in our community.

You might be familiar with the Interfaith Coalition of Stark County through activities in 2024 and 2025, such as our Wear Orange events at Centennial Plaza, prayerfully protesting gun violence, or the workshops held at St Paul's Episcopal Church, Christ the Servant Catholic Church, and the Islamic Society of Northeast Ohio - North Canton Mosque, or if you attend the local Pax Christi chapter, you have heard about our efforts. Numerous places of worship have hosted luncheons as we have formed this coalition, where we have learned from each other, enriched our spiritual lives, and created a community devoted to divine justice.

We have adopted by-laws (see link on this website), formed a governance Council and a non-profit structure through the State of Ohio to create a growing nonviolent presence in our community that can be sustainable.

Annual membership dues are $20.00 to help fund future activities aligned with our vision and mission. Our newly approved bylaws define a "member" as an individual who supports our vision and mission, not as a representative of a congregation or organization. Other levels of support are also encouraged (see details in by-laws).

All are welcome! Please join us by contacting: interfaithcoalitionstark@gmail.com.

We promise more memorable events like the one held on November 9!

Coalition Member Honored

Dr. Larry Bove (center) was honored as a member of the Criminal Justice Committee of the Stark County NAACP at its annual Freedom Fund dinner on October 17, 2025. The committee received the President’s Award for its service to NAACP.

Larry, Walsh University professor emeritus, helped create and is an active member of the Interfaith Coalition of Stark County. With him at the dinner are Marilyn Thomas Jones and Dan Toussant, both members of the Coalition’s council.

Wear Orange Prayer Service and Community Event

Members and friends of the Interfaith Coalition gathered together for a powerful and beautiful Wear Orange prayer service and community event on June 5 at Canton Centennial Plaza.. A special part of the program was the launch of our Safe Storage campaign, encouraging the secure storage of firearms to prevent tragedy including accidental injuries and deaths, suicide with firearm, and theft of firearms that are then used in crimes. The first sign was presented to the Canton Police Department; others were presented to area churches, synagogue and mosque.

The signs are available for an offering of $10 each to cover the cost of production. Contact intefaithcoalitionstark@gmail.com.

OUR COMMON GROUND -- Building common bonds in the Interfaith Community to form collective political will.

Let us confirm our common beliefs as reason for our collective political will against gun violence.

Can we agree that:

Our Scriptures proclaim God's word and will.
There is but One God who is Sovereign over all.
God is creator of all.
This makes everything and everyone sacred.
God created human beings in God's image and likeness.
Our purpose is therefore to reflect our Creator God.
God hears the cry of the poor and marginalized.
God is loving, forgiving, and merciful.
God is Love and Peace.
Life is sacred, sin is forgivable, and mercy is demanded.

Each of our faiths sponsor: Peace over violence and love over hatred, bigotry and prejudice.

With this as our common theological ground:

We stand against gun violence as it goes against our faith in the Creator's purpose and intent.

It threatens God's sacred life.