Our leadership

Deborah Laforet (she/they) is a Diaconal minister with the United Church of Canada. She has been serving St. Paul’s United Church in Oakville since 2012 and before that, was in Saskatchewan for five years.

Deborah grew up in Michigan where she attended the only church in her neighbourhood which was Roman Catholic. She moved to Ontario in 1997 and was introduced to a United Church where a woman was preaching, and doing it well! During her maternity leave with her second child, Deborah discerned a call to ministry and has never looked back.

Deborah loves to be in community, whether it be discussion about theology, social justice, or the future of the church, singing in a band, or hanging out with the youth of the church. She also enjoys her work with Regional and National Church organizations. Joining others in community as they dream and vision and work towards God’s kingdom is where Deborah loves to be. All that being said, Deborah also loves to just sit at home with a good book, riding her bike while listening to a good podcast, or out on a trail experiencing God’s creation.

Deborah was diagnosed as autistic in 2023, which has helped her understand much of her life and current struggles. Deborah values diversity, equity, and creating places of safety, where people can be brave, be themselves, and find a sense of belonging.

Imam Abdul-Qayyum Mufti is a community leader, Imam, philanthropist and social advocate who has called Mississauga home for thirty years, and who has given much of his life to the service of others.

He founded the Interfaith Council of Halton in 2001 and served as its founding Co-Chair. After a period on the Executive Committee he returned to the chair, and serves as Co-Chair today. He has also sat for more than fifteen years on the Executive Committee of the Interfaith Council of Peel, promoting collaboration and understanding across faiths.

For over twenty years he has been a founding member of the Halton Regional Police Service Multi-Faith Support Team, and he serves on the Peel Regional Police South Asian Resource Council. He spent close to a decade on the Steering Committee for Equity and Inclusive Education Policy at the Halton District School Board, served two consecutive four-year terms on the City of Mississauga Mayor’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, and is now serving a four-year term on the Mayor’s Committee on Combating Hate and Discrimination.

In a volunteer capacity he leads the Muslim community’s $5 million pledge to the Trillium Health Partners Foundation for the redevelopment of Mississauga Hospital. He has served on the Foundation’s Board of Directors for more than thirteen years, holds the title of Emeritus Board Member, and sits on its Campaign Cabinet, which is raising hundreds of millions of dollars toward the community share of a multi-billion-dollar redevelopment.

He has chaired the Annual Muslim Community Family Day Walkathon since 2011 and chairs the community’s skydiving fundraiser, has been instrumental in raising funds for disaster relief around the world, and was Team Captain for the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life for five years from its inception. He holds a Master’s degree in Geography and is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP). A former IT consultant, educator and Scouts Canada leader, a lifetime blood donor, a former Senior Vice-President of one of the oldest and largest Muslim organisations and a board member of an international relief organisation, he also writes as a columnist and appears as a television panellist on current affairs.

His recognitions include the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the King Charles III Coronation Medal, Mississauga Mayor’s Civic Service Awards, the MuslimFest Community Award presented at its twenty-fifth annual celebration, and the Gold Medal of Excellence for Human Rights — received twice, once with the Interfaith Council of Halton and once with the Halton Regional Police Service Multi-Faith Support Team.

Vida considers herself a global citizen, her perspective shaped by living in five different countries and by embracing opportunities to learn from and connect with diverse cultures around the world. A graduate of the University of Toronto with a degree in Economics, Development and Statistics, she brings both analytical insight and a deep appreciation for people and communities to her work.

Alongside her full-time professional career she serves on several institutions, reflecting a strong commitment to service. A proud mother of three, Vida is passionate about lifelong learning, community engagement and travel.

She joined the Interfaith Council of Halton in 2016 and remains dedicated to fostering understanding, dialogue and collaboration among people of diverse faiths and backgrounds.

Ordained in the Diocese of Qu’Appelle of the Anglican Church of Canada, Malcolm French has served both as a parish priest and in diocesan leadership roles, in Canada and in Aotearoa New Zealand.

A veteran of the Royal Canadian Navy, he has won multiple awards and holds a professional accreditation in public relations. He is Chaplain of the Annunciation Chapter of the Society of Catholic Priests.

As one born in Saskatchewan, he is inevitably a lifelong Roughrider fan.

Gillian’s interest in interfaith dialogue began many years ago when, as a Commissioner in the Scouts movement, she planned an interfaith church parade in Brampton to celebrate their Religion in Life initiative.

Since then she has taught World Religions in the Catholic school system, instructed Canadian Armed Forces chaplains in “Ministry in a Pluralistic Environment”, and become known for the inclusive nature of her prayers and graces — before that was a common expectation. As a civilian pastoral associate and as a military chaplain she assisted in worship for her Roman Catholic community while helping to facilitate faith practice for people of other faiths, and respecting the choices of all.

Gillian has studied at the Toronto School of Theology, St Francis Xavier University, Notre Dame University, the Institute of Counselling (Glasgow) and the KAICIID International Dialogue Centre, and is currently completing a diploma in Interfaith Dialogue at the University of Saint Michael’s College. She is a committed life-long learner who realises that the more she learns, the more she knows she needs to learn.

As System Chaplaincy and Faith Formation Lead for the Halton Catholic District School Board, Gillian joined the Interfaith Council of Halton in 2016 to assist in supporting the students of many faith traditions who attend Catholic secondary schools in the Region.

She and her husband Paul have six children and nine grandchildren, and all are involved in many volunteer community activities.

Jeff was born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Montreal and the Greater Toronto Area. He has travelled a long journey through several denominations, which has given him experience and perspective on the challenges others have faced while seeking a deeper spirituality and a nurturing church.

He is committed to building community with people of all faith backgrounds, and to the inclusion of all people in the church of God. Jeff has a passion for people, and a particular passion for outreach through social justice, compassionate care and family ministry.

He spent twenty years in the technology manufacturing industry before answering the call to ordained ministry in 2001. Jeff is married to Sue-Ann, who is also an Anglican priest. Together they have raised four wonderful children and dote on their twelve amazing grandchildren.

A United Church Minister for over 50 years, teacher of ministers at four theological colleges, coach of congregations in transition for United and Lutheran churches, and mentor to many, Mòrar was a pioneer in the establishment of women in ordained ministry.

Mòrar’s commitment to deep interfaith relationships and her ease of engaging diverse theological perspectives was formed by her education at McGill University, where, with students from a wide spectrum of faith traditions, she studied Judaism and Islam in addition to Christianity. Her resources for ministry were honed during a doctorate at Princeton Theological Seminary. More recently she received an honorary doctorate from her alma mater at McGill.

Co-founder of the Interfaith Council of Halton, Mòrar has been involved in educating secondary students through the Interfaith Council and as a teacher in World Religions classes at St. Mildred’s Lightbourn and Oakville Memorial high schools. She loves engaging teens and young adults in conversations about things that matter to them.

Mòrar is called to explore imaginative ways we can live creatively through changing times. Through preaching described as energetic and quirky, and masterful storytelling, she assists others to think spiritually about the world and life.

Pravin has been involved with the Vaishno Devi Temple in Oakville for over 35 years as a caring volunteer with an unwavering desire to make her community a better place to live in. Her active involvement with the Temple and the Interfaith Council of Halton has resulted in cultivating and fostering relationships with multiple Faiths. At the Temple, she started the ladies Muskan Group and Bal Vihar Children’s Group. Her priority had emerged to address the systematic inequities for our seniors and youths while eliminating the hardships they face in our community.

Here, a mention must be made about her strong Fundraising efforts for the Canadian Cancer Society, S.E.N.E.C.A. and The Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. As a tireless Fundraiser for the Oakville Hospital Foundation, she had successfully recruited and motivated individuals and businesses to raise several hundred thousand dollars for procuring hospital equipment.

Pravin joined the Interfaith Council in 2010. She organized two Interfaith Peace Camps for the Youth in 2018 and 2019. She is also involved with the International Women’s Day, Interfaith Conferences, giving lectures at High Schools in Halton for their curriculum on World Religions Program.

Pravin is also a recipient of several notable Awards such as — Life Membership Award from V.A.C.S. organization of Arya Samaj, Canada; Ambassador for The Hindu Federation of Canada; Halton Police Forum; Melvin Jones Fellowship Award from Lions Clubs International Foundation, The Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers Award in 2018 and King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2025.

Pravin is married to Surinder for almost 60 years. They have two children — Maneesh and Asha. Maneesh is an Endodontist and Asha is a Physician. Maneesh is married to Menisha. They have two grandsons — Ashwin and Devan. Ashwin is a Physician and Devan is a High School teacher.

Rabbi Stephen Wise is the spiritual leader of Shaarei-Beth El Congregation of Oakville. He was ordained from the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in May 2005, holds a BA from the University of Toronto and an MA from Brandeis University.

He sits on the executive of the Reform Rabbis of Canada and on the CCAR board of directors, on the executive of the Interfaith Council of Halton, and is a member of the Halton Regional Police Service Multi-Faith Support Team.

Rabbi Wise is an author and speaker on Israel and her role in tikkun olam. His first book is Israel: Repairing the World, and he served as a delegate for ARZA Canada at the 2025 World Zionist Congress in Jerusalem. He and his wife Cheryl, Director of Education at SBE, have three children: Jacob, Talia and Alexa.