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Jun 30, 2015

Pearland Church and Islamic Group Have Developing Relationship

St. Andrew’s in Pearland has developed an ongoing relationship with the Pearland Islamic Center. This exchange began after an invitation to coffee extended by the Rev. Jim Liberatore to Imam Danny Abdullah Hernandez. Danny originally came from Puerto Rico and studied in Egypt after conversion. He is the only Spanish speaking Imam in the area and interjects humor whenever possible. It was agreed that “loving our neighbor” was a priority of both community leaders. The first event was the dedication of an interfaith garden at the Pearland Islamic Center.

 

Danny then came to St. Andrew’s to give an Islam 101 class to about 45 people. He then asked them to email him all of the hard questions they had about Islam and came back and addressed each one at length using the Koran (rather than a culture or Islamic school) as a reference. On June 27th, St. Andrew’s capped off their education by having 34 members visit the mosque to break Ramadan fast with the Islamic Center. Jim will duplicate the instruction, question and visit process at the mosque this fall.

 

The mosque will participate in the annual pumpkin unloading and in Family Promise (a ministry for homeless families) at St. Andrew’s. The church and mosque will undertake joint service events. St. Andrew’s hopes to participate in the free health clinic the Islamic Center has. Both communities have much in common beyond the Abrahamic Faith and will build upon their commonality and aspirations.