17 July 2025, 4:52 p.m. MDT
Seven members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Canada have been awarded the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal for their efforts in interfaith work and community service.
These recipients — based in communities across the country — were nominated by the Canadian Interfaith Conversation and recognized by the Government of Canada for their significant contributions to religious harmony, service and public discourse.
The Coronation Medal, established in honor of King Charles III’s ascension, celebrates Canadians who have made a lasting impact in their communities.
Each of the Latter-day Saint honorees played a unique role in fostering understanding, respect and collaboration among faith groups in their regions, reported the Church’s Canada Newsroom.
National efforts: Dialogue at the heart of interfaith
Amira Elghawaby, left, Canada’s special representative on combatting Islamophobia, and Sandra Pallin, Canada communication director for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at the Our Whole Society conference at Martin Luther University College in Waterloo, Ontario, May 7 to May 9, 2023. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Sandra Pallin, national communication director for the Church in Canada, has spent the last decade serving on the executive committee of the Canadian Interfaith Conversation. She has also helped organize five consecutive “Our Whole Society” conferences, an interfaith event that promotes civil dialogue and religious inclusion.
“Events like the ‘Our Whole Society’ conference are important starting places for dialogue and bridge-building, if we want to increase understanding and find common ground in Canadian civil society,” said Pallin.
The charter expresses a vision to “promote harmony and religious insight” and to work toward “greater truth and reconciliation between Indigenous groups and later arrivals of Canadians.”
Community organizing: Faith in action in Calgary
Stephanie Kusie, minister of Parliament for Calgary Midnapore, presents Latter-day Saint Dalton Harding with the 2025 King Charles III Coronation Medal, in Calgary, Alberta, in 2025. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
In Alberta, Dalton Harding co-founded the Calgary Interfaith Council in 2017. His efforts have brought people of many religions together to serve others through food drives, joint service projects and a “Scriptural Reasoning” group where sacred texts spark conversation and learning.
He described a major focus of his interfaith work as mobilizing people of faith to do good within the community.
Advocacy in British Columbia: Elevating faith in the public square
Some of the recipients of the 2025 King Charles III Coronation Medal for interfaith work in British Columbia were honored at a tea reception with Premier David Eby, center back, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on May 9, 2025. Latter-day Saint Sherry Marceil, third from left, poses for pictures with other interfaith honorees. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Recipients Sherry Marceil and Neil McKenzie are known for championing faith in education and public policy. They co-developed a “Multi-Faith Resource Manual” for teachers and lead province-wide professional development for educators on religious pluralism.
“We advocate to government on behalf of people of faith,” Marceil said.
McKenzie added, “We need to focus on policy in the public square, which will, once in place, go forward advancing the status of faith by itself forever.”
Their advocacy helps ensure that religious voices are not only respected but also included in shaping Canada’s classrooms.
Religious freedom in Edmonton: A community conversation
Latter-day Saint Chantelle McMullen receives the 2025 King Charles III Coronation Medal from Tim S. Uppal, minister of Parliament for Edmonton Gateway, at a ceremony held in Edmonton, Alberta, on June 25, 2025. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
In Edmonton, Chantelle McMullen helped launch a conference titled “Religious Freedom: A Community Conversation,” bringing together speakers from diverse faiths to affirm the shared importance of religious liberty.
McMullen has also strengthened ties with Catholic Social Services through JustServe and has been a key partner in the Edmonton Food Drive, the city’s largest collection event for food banks.
Indigenous spirituality and mutual respect
John Borrows, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and an Indigenous scholar, shares his thoughts about faith in his booklet “Indigenous Voices of Faith,” on April 28, 2023, in Toronto, Canada. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
John Borrows, an Anishinaabe and member of the Chippewas of the Nawash First Nation, shared how serving with the Victoria Multifaith Society helped him appreciate both his own traditions and those of others.
“Life is at its fullest when we are gentle and quiet,” he said. “Being curious and asking to attend a friend’s worship service deepens mutual understanding and respect.”
Hospitality and harmony in Halifax
Janet MacLennan poses for a photo with Arjun Singh at the Our Whole Society conference held in Ottawa, Canada, in May 2017. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
For Janet MacLennan of Halifax, interfaith work begins with friendship. Through her service with Interfaith Harmony Halifax, she has shared meals, stories and faith experiences with neighbors of many religions.
She said, “The greatest thing I have learned is that no matter what religion we practice, if we are sincerely trying to live our faith with integrity, our similarities are much greater than our differences and we can be friends, not enemies.”
A legacy of religious liberty
Church President Russell M. Nelson said, “Because there is much that is praiseworthy in each of our faiths, it is important for us to maintain the integrity of our religious institutions and to preserve tolerance of each other’s sacred beliefs.” That message was delivered in 1993 at a parliament of the world’s religions.
Pallin explained that Latter-day Saints “have respect for the diverse beliefs and unique contributions of all the world’s faiths. From our earliest beginnings, the Prophet Joseph Smith elevated the principle of religious liberty and respect when he stated: ‘We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.’”
