Keep the faith: Reverend Mark Dunn is bringing together people of all faiths. Picture: Scott McNaughton
THE Reverend Mark Dunn gets the most satisfaction out of seeing people's lives change through embracing spiritual identity.
But he's not about to ram religion down your throat.
"Yes, I'm part of an institution that sees itself as mainstream religion in Australia," Mr Dunn explains.
"You could argue I'm a peddler of religion.
"I see myself much more as a person who is an agent helping people discover God within them. I'm not trying to bring God to them."
Mr Dunn joined the ministry three decades ago and oversees St John's Uniting Church in Essendon.
A passionate man dedicated to making a difference, his latest venture this year was to establish the Moonee Valley Interfaith Network.
He says that years ago it was about fostering relationships with other churches, but now the goals have changed.
"We've done that," he says of churches pulling together. "We're partners together in the cause.
''In a sense, we've won that battle and I think this is the new frontier where there's this extra energy beyond the parochial stuff that goes with running a local church."
He threw his energy into fostering interfaith relationships, aiming to bring together religious leaders and people of different faiths such as Islam, Hindu and Buddhist.
"We're hoping to promote understanding and harmony," he says.
"If we inform people then we've got a better chance to overcome bigotry and misconceptions that people have about religious stuff."
Racial discrimination is an issue Mr Dunn feels strongly about.
Three years ago he established regular international hospitality dinners during the spate of violence against visiting Indian students.
Has the fear subsided?
"It has. But the flow of those students has also dramatically slowed down."
He recalls that in his previous parish life in Doncaster, vandalism was an issue at a local Jewish synagogue.
There would always be an "extremist view" in the community, but you can make inroads, he believes.
"An organisation like the Interfaith Network is committed to helping to inform people properly.
"We're never going to do away totally with bigotry or that extreme attitude, but by good information and people building relationships together we have a better chance of encouraging a sense of harmony and co-operation.
"We're all sharing the neighbourhood together. We're sisters and brothers. If you cut us we bleed. It's all red blood."
Mr Dunn says the network will focus on projects involving young people and working with schools.
Asked about Moonee Valley as a community, he says that historically there's been a strong Catholic community, but that is changing.
"What we need to do is recognise that it's changing, that increasing diversity means there are people of other faith traditions, or none, who are all looking to find their place in our community.
"It [interfaith network] has the capacity to grow and develop to be the key social network among all the religious communities in Moonee Valley."