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By Mark Wright
Shaw Picks Up Olympic Interfaith Baton from Late LDS Colleague Barnes
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- William Shaw is feeling the pressure of
performing for the 2002 Olympic Games. Shaw is not an athlete but
he's been handed a Herculean task with a very short timeline. Newly
appointed head of the Olympic Interfaith Roundtable, Shaw has to take
it to the next level. Alan Barnes, the original founder of the
Olympic Interfaith Roundtable, an ecumenical group focused on
fulfilling the religious needs of the athletes and visitors planning
to attend the 2002 Olympic Games, passed away unexpectedly on Jan. 2,
2001.
Barnes' death was a significant blow that could have ended the
fledgling group's efforts but Shaw, appointed by the SLOC after
Barnes' death, hasn't missed a beat. Like his predecessor, Shaw is an
active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and
is working hard to maintain a coalition of local religious leaders
that want to provide religious support for any Olympic attendees that
desire to practice their religion while attending the 2002 Games.
Although Barnes put a solid foundation in place, the work was left
unfinished and Shaw still has a significant number of challenges to
tackle. These challenges include getting approval for the
Roundtable's mission statement, solidifying the Olympics' chaplain
corps, completing plans for an interfaith chapel at the Olympic
Village, coordinating a housing program to serve athletes' families,
and creating a referral network for visitors seeking places of
worship.
By all accounts, the group continues to survive and even thrive under
Shaw's leadership. Comments from the members of the Roundtable are
positive and complimentary. "I am impressed with William Shaw," said
the Rev. Caryl Marsh, rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. "I have
every confidence that things will continue to progress well under
[Shaw's] leadership." Similarly, the Rev. John Kaloudis, pastor of
Salt Lake's Greek Orthodox community said, "the Roundtable seems to
be on target."
One interesting note about the proposed mission statement for the
Roundtable is the inclusion of a statement pledging Roundtable
participants to avoid proselytizing during the Games. This is
especially interesting because the Church of Jesus Christ is well
known for its very active missionary efforts. Given the large numbers
of LDS volunteers expected to participate during the games, it will
be interesting to see how far the "non-proselytizing" pledge of the
Roundtable goes in curtailing the missionary zeal of the LDS
volunteers.
It's also interesting to note that many evangelical churches, not
members of the Interfaith Roundtable, are already planning for a
major proselytizing push during the Games. Apparently, the athletes
will have plenty of options when it comes to religious involvement
during the games.
Perhaps more important than the actual effort of preparing for the
Olympics, the work of Barnes and Shaw have also set the stage for
greater interfaith cooperation and understanding in Salt Lake City
once the Games have been completed. After the last gold medal has
been handed out and the athletic feats of the participants have been
celebrated, it seems certain that the Olympic Interfaith Roundtable
will have their own amazing success story to tell.
Source:
Death Slows But Doesn't Stop Oly God Squad
Salt Lake Tribune 17Feb01 P2
By Bob Mims: Salt Lake Tribune
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