Meet an innoFaither is our series to introduce the inspiring optimists in the innoFaith world and what they’re working on and thinking about. We hope it helps you find and engage with each other across the network to advance faith-rooted social innovation and interfaith collaboration for social impact. Or just meet some cool people.
Meet Kelly Moltzen, co-founder and convener of the Interfaith Public Health Network and food systems advocate and innovator. Guided by her Catholic roots, Franciscan commitment, and interfaith engagement, Kelly is a wealth of knowledge and action about all things related to food, health, nutrition, equity, and justice.
What faith(s), if any, do you practice? How is your faith or practice bringing special inspiration or insight for you in this current moment?
I am professed as a member of the Secular Franciscan Order, which means I commit to following in the path of St. Francis of Assisi in the secular world as a layperson. St. Francis was a mystic who saw himself and everyone and everything around him as interconnected – a spirituality of the earth that is sorely needed in modern society. St. Francis also followed in the steps of Jesus in prioritizing the needs of the marginalized. As someone who grew up within the Catholic Church, I appreciate that Vatican II promotes and encourages ecumenical and interfaith dialogue. Something I appreciate about Franciscanism is that it is not just for Catholics – there are Franciscan orders within other denominations such as Anglican (Episcopal) (Third Order Society of St. Francis), Lutheran (Order of Lutheran Franciscans), and Ecumenical (Order of Ecumenical Franciscans). Also, anyone can be Franciscan-hearted which is the unofficial “Fourth Order.”
I’ve also recently found inspiration within the Swedenborgian Church. Named after Emanuel Swedenborg, a scientist and mystic who wrote prolifically and prophetically about the “New Church,” the Swedenborgian Church affirms that anyone who does good in accordance with the truth of their religion will be looked on favorably by God, and desires to see peace in the Holy Land. (It is also known as the Church of the New Jerusalem). I am inspired by the intentionally inclusive theology of this church, and Swedenborgian involvement with establishing the first Parliament of the World’s Religions in 1893. At their heart, I believe all mystics regardless of their religious backgrounds share the same truths about the nature of God and the universe. I also appreciate that the Swedenborgian Church is very supportive of spiritual entrepreneurship, which is important to me, as my career path has brought me to bridge public health and faith communities, and like any entrepreneurial activity, this takes a considerable amount of support to figure out how to do well.
Where do you live?
Washington, D.C.
What's your favorite pastime?
I enjoy sharing a good meal with friends, over deep conversation. Food from the earth is sacred, and meant to be eaten in community with others.
What are you working on currently?
Many things. My career began by working to address health disparities in the Bronx, which I am still working on, especially through efforts to revamp the food system to get healthy, affordable food sold in corner stores on a sustainable basis. Also, I’m a co-founder and convener of the Interfaith Public Health Network, which has a mission of facilitating impactful relationships between faith communities and organizations to advance public health. Most of our work at IPHN has been around engaging faith communities in food policy changes at the local level in NYC, but one of our first projects in 2019 was an Interfaith Public Health Roundtable series in NYC, an effort I’ve been helping to expand to several other communities across the country. As a consultant with Church World Service, I’m helping a consortium of national faith-based organizations to develop an approach to engaging faith communities across the U.S. in the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health which emerged from the 2022 White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. I also try to support interfaith dialogue and depolarization efforts when I can.
What question are you thinking about these days?
A constant question of mine is how to prioritize my efforts around faith, food, and health, so I can do “what makes my heart sing” and have the greatest impact.
How can people find you?
Email or LinkedIn is great. Send me a message and let me know what resonates with you about my work or perspective, and we can connect. I’m also on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.