ALPENA — Pastor Tom Orth and Rabbi Howard Morrison are teaming up for a very interesting and informative community outreach program from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14 at Grace Lutheran Church, 119 W. Dunbar St., Alpena.

They will be exploring “Unity and Diversity within and between Judaism and Christianity.”

Rabbi Morrison, who will be joining the conversation via Zoom from Toronto, Canada, and Pastor Orth will present the two-hour program in two sections: Prayer/Worship Traditions, followed by refreshments and socializing, then a discussion on various traditions within the respective faiths. A question-and-answer period will follow each presentation.

Pastor Orth is an ordained United Church of Christ minister who is serving as the pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America congregation. This occurs through an ecumenical partnership known as a full communion agreement between the denominations.

At the church, he leads worship service, celebrates the sacraments, teaches classes and provides care to members. Additionally, he is involved in the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee of Northeast Michigan and works for justice and peace.

Rabbi Morrison, who has previously led Shabbat services and community outreach programs at Temple Beth-El, is the senior Rabbi of Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue in Toronto. He leads prayer services, officiates lifecycle ceremonies, offers pastoral care to its members and is the former president of the Toronto Board of Rabbis.

Please call 989-595-3544 to let RSVP or please email pastor@gracelutheran-alpena.org to obtain the Zoom link.

Temple Beth-El’s Guest Rabbi program is sponsored in part by the generosity of the Ravitz Foundation Initiative for Michigan Small Jewish Communities as well as donations by Temple Beth-El members and friends.