Graymoor, NY — Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute (GEII), a ministry of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, has promoted Dr. Aaron Hollander to be its new Executive Director.
Dr. Hollander, a native New Yorker and distinguished ecumenical theologian, is the first lay director in GEII’s 58-year history. He succeeds Fr. Jim Loughran, SA, with whom he has worked for the past several years.
“I am so pleased that Aaron has accepted the role of Executive Director of Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute,” said Fr. Loughran. “This leads us yet into another era, not only at GEII but in the ecumenical movement itself, peopled by a new generation of women and men who are ready to promote a 21st-century vision of visible unity among the followers of Jesus Christ and harmonious fraternity among all humanity and all creation.”
As an Episcopalian layperson, Dr. Hollander’s appointment reflects the inclusive and collaborative spirit of GEII. His vision embraces new perspectives while remaining deeply rooted in GEII’s Franciscan mission.
Dr. Hollander’s Vision
Continuing to work closely with Fr. Loughran, the Friars’ general council, and an advisory board of ecumenical experts, Dr. Hollander will lead new efforts to:
Cultivate Ecumenical Perspectives and Methods. Dr. Hollander’s top priority is enhancing ecumenical education through GEII’s programs, partnerships, and publications. He aims to reach people in universities, seminaries, churches, and the wider public and train them in resources for humane, productive dialogue and collaborative action. An urgent question for our time, he reminds us, is how to sustain relationships between people who disagree. Without reconciled relationships, a just, peaceful, and sustainable world will remain out of reach.
Strengthen GEII’s Networks. Based at the Interchurch Center in New York City, alongside more than 70 other nonprofit organizations, GEII is in an ideal location for meaningful collaboration. In addition to its local network of ecclesial and civic collaborators, the Institute is a leading contributor to wider scholarly networks like the North American Academy of Ecumenists (NAAE) and the Ecclesiological Investigations International Research Network (EIIRN). Dr. Hollander wants to strengthen these relationships, helping to equip them for making a sustainable difference, while also cultivating new partnerships locally, nationally, and internationally.
Communicate More Effectively Why Ecumenism Matters. “People may think, ‘How can we worry about the intricacies of interchurch reconciliation and interreligious dialogue when there’s so much upheaval and suffering in the world?’” Dr. Hollander said. “Ecumenism is so easily, and incorrectly, dismissed as insiders gathering to fuss about problems that don’t really matter. That impression is why we need to talk about it and use its tools more creatively. It’s so important to translate ecumenical methods and history into forms that scholars, religious professionals, and laypeople alike will recognize as urgent today. What will it take to understand the histories of violence in which we are rooted, to realign our minds and hands and hearts toward the possibility of healed relationships?”
After 125 Years, A New Chapter
GEII has long been at the forefront of promoting interchurch and interreligious peacemaking, shaping post-Vatican II ecumenical efforts through its ongoing symposia and dialogues, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity resources, and award-winning journal, Ecumenical Trends. Dr. Hollander now takes the helm at a pivotal moment, as a rapidly changing ecumenical landscape engages new generations in a deeply divided and fearful world.
“Lay leadership brings a fresh perspective,” said Fr. Emil Tomaskovic, SA, Minister General of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. “We have always adapted to the currents of ecumenism. Dr. Hollander’s vision will bring about new ways for the Friars and the laity to work together for At-One-Ment.”
