BRISTOL, Tenn., Oct. 7, 2022 — As part of its 2022-23 speaker series, “Hunger and Gladness,” King University’s Institute for Faith & Culture (IFC) is welcoming Mark Finlay, director of the Leaders and Followers Foundation and special advisor on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
A native of Belfast, Northern Ireland, Finlay is a former commissioner of the Port of Belfast, which encompasses Europe’s largest waterfront regeneration, known as Titanic Quarter, where the RMS Titanic was built in 1909. He moved to the United States in 2012. Two years later he was invited by Congressman Robert Aderholt of Alabama to serve as a special advisor with faith-based initiatives and international relations.
Finlay will offer two presentations on Monday, Oct. 17. At 9:15 a.m. he will present “Who are the Cup Bearers Today?” at Memorial Chapel on the campus of King University in Bristol, Tennessee. He will also present “Ambassadors Not Politicians” at 7 p.m. at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 760 Cumberland St., Bristol, Virginia. Both presentations are free and open to the public.
“Reconciliation is a word that we don’t hear discussed much in our polarized world, but one that can serve as a catalyst for healing and hope,” said Martin Dotterweich, Ph.D., director of the IFC. “Mark brings a depth and breadth of experience in post-conflict transformation, having grown up during the Troubles in Northern Ireland and served as an active participant in the peacemaking process. We look forward to welcoming him and sharing his insight into this timely and essential topic.”
The Leaders and Followers Foundation was established to mentor and equip leaders in arenas of business, government, culture, and faith to develop relationships in the name of Jesus. The Foundation also promotes reconciliation, peace, and bridging divides.
In recent years, Finlay has addressed groups in several state capitals in the United States, as well as parliaments and palaces in Abu Dhabi, Amman Banja Luca, Belfast, Belgrade, Brussels, Dublin, Edinburgh, London, Sarajevo, Salzburg, Vienna, and Zagreb.
Mark and his wife, Karen Finlay, are fellows of the C.S. Lewis Institute (CSLI). They are often heard telling people that they “come from the Kingdom of Narnia” — a reference to Lewis, who was born and raised just yards from the Finlay’s home in Belfast. They also serve together as ambassadors of reconciliation.
More information on upcoming IFC speakers is available at www.king.edu/faithandculture.