The group of Atlanta interfaith leaders meeting that September 11th had a vision for their own version of a beloved community. Instead of being deterred by terror and hate they planted the seeds for what grew into the Interfaith Children’s Movement. Dr. Luther E. Smith, Jr., Professor Emeritus of Church and Community at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and coordinator of the Pan-Methodist Campaign for Children in Poverty, has been a leader in the movement since the beginning.

My journey into motherhood took an unexpected turn with the birth of my son Austin who was born with a developmental disability. Developmental Disabilities include Intellectual Disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Down Syndrome, amongst others. Austin was born in the year 1988, and my...