Q&As with religious leaders in the Forest Hills Community

The first thing you notice when walking into the office of Rob Peterson, Pastor of Thornapple Evangelical Covenant Church, is the massive bookshelf. Rows of dark wood are filled almost from floor to ceiling. Interspersed among the books are little, ancient-looking bowls, miniatures of the Space Needle, and copious other tokens from Petterson’s time as a pastor. Having just seen the bookshelf, you wo...

As I walked past the glintering glass-studded towers of the Basilica of Saint Adalbert, I felt my soul bow in respect to the ancient tradition which radiated from the complex puzzle of glass and stone. I ascended the archaic, worn stairs to the imposing yet inviting ornate wooden door; it was locked.  I looked back and forth down the street not quite sure what to do next. To the left of the Bas...

Kevin and Jodi Dean met me at the front doors of the Cascade Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses. Behind them, wearing their Sunday best, stood two young children.  When I first contacted members at the Kingdom Hall, I hadn’t yet realized exactly how their system worked. There is no “pastor” or “priest” — no sole religious leader with whom I could meet. So instead, I met the Deans.�...