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Annual Gathering Spotlight: Rev. Gerald Richard II
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At our upcoming Annual Gathering, AFN's Board President, Rev. Gerald P. Richard II, Esq., will welcome attendees and and set the "framing" for the event. Rev. Richard serves as pastor of Prince Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Tucson, has
extensive experience in the legal profession, and is a consultant in Social and Criminal Justice.
Join us Tuesday, October 20, for the 2026 AFN Annual Gathering to hear from keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Gary Mason, and gather with faith and community leaders from across Arizona.
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Partner with AFN as an Annual Gathering Sponsor!
Sponsoring the 2026 AFN Annual Gathering is a unique opportunity to connect your organization directly with Arizona s diverse interfaith community, nonprofit partners, advocates, and community leaders from across the state.
By sponsoring the Annual Gathering, your organization will be recognized as a leader committed to strengthening communities, fostering dialogue across differences, and investing in Arizona's future. Sponsorship offers an opportunity to align your organization
with one of the state's largest and most diverse interfaith networks while increasing your visibility among hundreds of influential community leaders and organizations.
With sponsorship opportunities from $50 to $1,000+, sponsors can showcase their organization, build new relationships, and demonstrate their commitment to strengthening communities across faiths and differences.
Learn more and become a sponsor at: arizonafaithnetwork.org/gather
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Election Protection: Poll Chaplains & Peacekeepers Needed
Arizona Faith Network is recruiting volunteers to serve as Poll Chaplains and
Peacekeepers for the November general election as part of our nonpartisan Election Protection program. These faith-rooted volunteers help create safe, welcoming, and peaceful voting environments where every eligible voter can participate with dignity
and respect.
No prior experience is required. Training and support are provided through partnerships with
Election Protection Arizona and Faiths United to Save Democracy. People of all faith traditions and people of goodwill are welcome. Training sessions via Zoom will be offered on multiple dates/times in September and October. See the registration
form below for additional details.
Join us in protecting democracy, promoting peaceful civic participation, and supporting our communities during the election season.
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Faiths United to Save Democracy (FUSD) Poll Chaplain & Peacekeeper Training
Join Arizona Faith Network and Faiths United to Save Democracy for a national, nonpartisan training preparing faith and community leaders to help support free, fair, safe, and peaceful elections.
2026 TRAINING OPTIONS:
September 28 | 4:00 5:30 PM Arizona Time via Zoom
October 15 | 4:00 5:30 PM Arizona Time via Zoom
Only ONE training session is required to serve.
Poll Chaplains are ordained faith leaders and Peacekeepers are lay leaders who provide a calm, caring presence at polling locations. Volunteers are trained in de-escalation, voter protection, responding appropriately to potential conflict or intimidation, understanding
key election laws, and connecting voters with Election Protection resources when challenges arise.
With new election threats and changes in election laws in 2026, all Poll Chaplains and Peacekeepers are required to complete a 2026 training before serving.
Faiths
United to Save Democracy is a nonpartisan, multiracial, interfaith, and intergenerational voter education and protection campaign. In Arizona, AFN works alongside faith and community partners to prepare volunteers to help ensure every eligible
voter can participate safely and without intimidation. Clergy and lay leaders are welcome. No previous election protection experience is required.
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2026 ACC Candidate Forum
Monday, October 5, 6:30 - 8:00 pm MST via Zoom
Join Arizona Interfaith Power and Light and Arizona Faith Network for a virtual, non-partisan Arizona Corporation Commission candidate forum!
The ACC decides the cost of energy and can hold utilities accountable for Arizona s clean energy future. This is not a candidate debate, rather a moderated discussion focused on the issues that Arizona faith communities care about, including skyrocketing utility
bills, data centers and grid stability, and achieving a clean energy future for generations to come.
As people of faith strive to care for one another and care for the earth, how does the work of the Commission reflect our values?
The Zoom link will be shared three days prior to the event with those who register.
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Arizona Poll Chaplain/ Peacekeeper Virtual Mobilization & Unity Rally
Wednesday, October 7, 5:00 - 5:45 pm MST via Zoom
This virtual rally will bring together certified Poll Chaplains/Peacekeepers, individuals who previously registered but did not complete the training, prospective volunteers, faith leaders, and community partners as we prepare to serve our communities during
this critical election season. The rally will inspire, energize, remind us why voting matters, clarify the critical role of Poll Chaplains and Peacekeepers, share special voting issues in the state, share tools for reaching discouraged voters, answer questions
for those who will serve; and share our post-election strategy to ensure all votes are counted.
Whether you are already certified, have started the process but have not completed the training, or are just learning about this movement, we need you to connect with others in the state committed to free, fair, and safe elections.
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What's On Your Ballot?
Wednesday, October 14, 5:30 - 6:30 pm MST via Zoom
What will Arizona voters actually see when they open their ballots this fall?
Join us for What s on Your Ballot?, a free, nonpartisan educational webinar designed to help Arizona voters understand the races, offices, and statewide propositions appearing on the November 3, 2026 General Election ballot.
We ll begin with an overview of the federal, statewide, legislative, and other races Arizona voters may see on their ballots, including a brief explanation of what the different offices do and why individual ballots differ depending on where a voter
lives.
The majority of the webinar will then provide a deeper educational walkthrough of Arizona s 2026 statewide ballot propositions. Using official ballot language and other nonpartisan sources, we ll explain each proposition in plain language, including
what the measure proposes to change and what a YES or NO vote means.
The Arizona Secretary of State currently lists eight statewide propositions for the 2026 General Election:
Propositions 141, 142, 144, 316, 317, 318, 319, and 320.
This webinar is strictly nonpartisan and educational. Arizona Faith Network will not endorse candidates or ballot positions or tell participants how to vote. Our goal is to give voters clear, accessible information so they can research the issues and
make their own informed decisions.
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The Vote Is Sacred: Arizona Bus Tour & Community Celebration
Join us for a nonpartisan celebration of the vote as the Vote Is Sacred Bus Tour makes three stops in Arizona!
Arizona Faith Network, Interfaith Alliance, Faiths United to Save Democracy, Party at the Polls, and community partners invite you to come together with neighbors for an evening of free food, community, celebration, and nonpartisan voter information about the
upcoming election.
Each gathering will also include an interfaith Prayer Vigil for Democracy, bringing together faith and community leaders for prayer and reflection for a peaceful election season, the safety of voters and election workers, and the strength of our democracy.
These events are free, nonpartisan, and open to everyone. People of all faiths and no faith are welcome.
Dates & Locations:
Phoenix Area Tuesday, October 27 at 5:30 PM
First Church UCC
1407 N 2nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Tucson Area Thursday, October 29 at 5:30 PM
Prince Chapel AME Church
602 S Stone Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701
Flagstaff Area Tuesday, November 3 at 5:30 PM
Flagstaff Federated Church
400 W Aspen Ave, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Come share a meal, connect with your community, get the information you need for the upcoming election, and join us in celebrating the sacred importance of every voice and every vote. RSVP for one (or more!) of the Bus Tour stops using the link below.
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AFN Monday Meditation
Mondays at noon MST via Zoom
Start your week with meditation led by Bandhu, AFN's Interfaith Manager, and guests.
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Learning Psalms with my Christian Mother: An Interfaith Conversation with Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz
Wednesday, December 16, 6:30 - 8:00 pm MST (Arizona time) via Zoom
Join AFN and Rabbi
Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz for a thoughtful conversation on his book,
Psalms Between Us: A Rabbi and His Christian Mother on Faith, Love, and Loss, a deeply personal reflection on studying the Psalms with his evangelical Christian mother through illness, grief, and mourning. The book explores how sacred texts can
build bridges across theological differences and strengthen relationships rooted in love, respect, and shared spiritual practice.
Drawing from both Jewish and Christian traditions, Rabbi Shmuly will share insights on interfaith understanding, family relationships, caregiving, loss, resilience, and the enduring power of the Psalms to accompany us through life's most meaningful moments.
The conversation will offer valuable perspectives for people of all faith backgrounds, including clergy, caregivers, interfaith families, and spiritual seekers.
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Simchat Torah - Celebrating the Annual Torah Cycle
Tuesday, September 22, 6:30 pm MST via Zoom
The Islamic Speakers Bureau of Arizona (ISBA) invites you to the next ILM Circles presentation: Simchat Torah - Celebrating the Annual Torah Cycle, featuring presenter Rabbi Michael Wasserman.
ILM Circles is a monthly learning workshop presented by local scholars, leaders, and community members. ILM stands for Intentional Learning for Mutual respect. "Ilm" in Arabic, means knowledge. Visit the link below to register for this free event.
NOTE: this event notice appeared in last week's newsletter with incorrect information. We apologize for the error.
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Screening of "Bad Faith"
Thursday, October 1, 2:00 pm
The Loft Cinema
3233 E Speedway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85716
Mountain Vista Unitarian Universalist Congregation, in partnership with Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, Democracy Unites Us, Jews for a Secular Democracy, are presenting a free showing of "Bad Faith," an award-winning documentary that charts the course
of Christian Nationalism in America into and beyond the 2024 elections.
After viewing it, Ken Burns, documentarian, had this to say, A GREAT and POWERFUL and TIMELY film, filled with the dread this moment engenders; the cynical misuse of religion to advance aims diametrically the opposite of Christianity's mission.
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Citizen Forum on American Science
Saturday, October 3, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Arizona Science Center
600 E Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Everyone should have a voice in big decisions facing our country. At our 250th anniversary, we are facing many of those decisions, including the future of scientific research. Come share your perspectives at a community conversation about if and how the nation
should reshape and reform its scientific enterprise. Selected participants will receive a $200 gift card at the end of the event. Must be 18 years or older. No prior knowledge is required to participate.
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What s on My Ballot: Prepare for the November 3 Election
Wednesday, October 7, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center
564 S. Stone Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701
The November 3, 2026 ballot will run four pages long, with more than 13 propositions to sort through. Join this free, nonpartisan discussion to get clear, unbiased explanations of what is actually on the ballot. Trained facilitators will walk through propositions
by topic: Constitutional Rights, Criminal Justice, Education, Elections, and Government & Taxes. No spin, no agenda, just the information you need to vote with confidence.
Open to all community members who want a clearer picture before Election Day. Presented by the League of Women Voters of Southern Arizona and the American Association of University Women.
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Former AFN Board member Eric Ledermann donates his photographic talents to AFN. Click on the graphic below to visit his
photography
website, where you'll find samples of his work and the services he can provide.
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The coming week (today through next Tuesday) brings the following observances:
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Yom Kippur (Judaism) Sep. 20-21
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Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to AFN today! Your partnership makes our Arizona community thrive.
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