When I joined the Emerging Leaders Network in 2018, I was brand new to the work of bridgebuilding and interfaith cooperation.

I had just joined the staff of Neighborly Faith—a nonprofit that seeks to help Christians engage “neighborly” with the religious diversity around them—and was eager to learn more. After attending Interfaith America’s annual Leadership Summit in Chicago that year, I received the resources and knowledge to become an effective interfaith leader as we celebrated the presence of diverse faith traditions in America.

In this season of life, Chris and Kevin, the co-founders of Neighborly Faith, were both mentors to me. Not only did they make time to answer my questions and provide opportunities for me to develop my abilities as a leader, but they also showed a vested interest in me as an emerging leader. They asked me hard questions, challenged me to think deeply about the polarizing issues in our world, and stretched my vision of how interfaith cooperation can change our society at a local and national level.

In this work of bridge building, relationships are necessary. We need partners, allies, and co-laborers if we are to create the beloved communities our world needs.  We also need relationships because this work is often taxing — emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Relationships keep us grounded, offer support when we are in need, and increase our potential for generative, longstanding impact in our world today.

In 2022, Rachel Kline launched the Emerging Leaders Mentorship program out of this recognition. “One of my favorite parts of interfaith cooperation and civic engagement is the impossibility of doing it alone,” she explained. “This work has to be done with others which leads to an incredible community and system of accountability.”