Who We Are
Mission, Vision, and Values
Value Proposition
The National Museum of American Religion invites all people to be inspired by the Constitution’s bold commitment to the ideal of religious freedom and to be moved to seek its preservation for future generations.
The National Museum of American Religion will be:
- Inclusive
- Honest
- Thoughtful
- Empathetic
- Relevant
- Inspiring
- Inquisitive
- Interactive
- Committed to accessibility
- Family-centric
Mission
The National Museum of American Religion explores the impact of religion on America, and America on religion. Committed to honesty and inclusivity, it tells stories of individuals, institutions, and movements that have formed the distinctive religious history of our nation. NMAR invites all people to discover how the ideal of religious freedom, as expressed in the Constitution and experienced by people throughout United States history, has shaped our social, political, economic and cultural lives from the period before European colonization to the present day.
Vision
The National Museum of American Religion will be the nationally recognized center for presenting, interpreting, and educating the public about the impact of America’s fragile experiment with religious freedom on the United States and the lives of people who have made this country their home. It seeks to inspire civil dialogue and debates about this complex and moving story, while also challenging assumptions and understandings about religion’s impact on history and contemporary life.
Advisory Committee

Reza Aslan

John M. Barry

Kit Bigelow

Ann D. Braude

Catherine Brekus

David F. Holland

Diana Butler Bass

Jamil Drake

Roger Finke

Thomas Farr

W. Cole Durham, Jr.

Hannah Smith

Spencer Fluhman

Robert P. George

Linford D. Fisher

Eddie S. Glaude Jr.

Paul Harvey

Thomas S. Kidd

Joshua Goode

Brian J. Grim

Cherie Harder

Philip Goff

Dr. Charles Haynes

Benjamin Hertzberg

Peter Thuesen

Dr. Zuhdi Jasser

Alan Johnson

Brett Scharffs

Brad Hirschfield

Philip Goldberg

Dr. Azza Karam

Anthony Picarello, Jr.

Dr. Diane L. Moore

Suzanne Morgan

Dr. Andrew Murphy

Dr. Pamela S. Nadell

Dr. Josh Perelman

Michael W. McConnell

Dr. Andrew Preston

Eric Rassbach

Melissa Rogers

Marc Stern

Sherif Girgis

Dr. Denise Spellberg

Douglas Laycock

Gary P. Zola

Asma T. Uddin

Dr. Eric Lewis Williams

Suhag Shukla

Robert Wilson-Black

Dr. Harry Stout

David Daniels III

Tammi J. Schneider

Dr. Lauren Turek

Sara Georgini

Richard Katskee

Mark Noll

John Turner

Tisa Wenger

Marc Dollinger

Paul Louis Metzger

Annette Marie Lantos Tillemann-Dick

Christel Manning

Barry Hankins

Maria Mazzenga

Kathleen Cummings
Religions Advisory Committee
- Alexander Stewart, Historian, Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith
- Alfred T. Day III, General Secretary General Commission on Archives and History United Methodist Church
- Anthony Picarello, General Counsel at U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Bill Kostlevy, Director, Brethren Historical Library and Archives at Church of the Brethren
- Bradley Hirschfield, President of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership (CLAL)
- Rev. Dr. Daniel N. Harmelink, Executive Director of the Concordia Historical Institute
- Garth Brokaw, American Baptist Homes and Caring Ministries (ABHCM)
- Heather Gonzales, Vice President and COO, National Association of Evangelicals
- Imam Mohammed Magid, Executive Religious Director of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS)
- Jasjit Singh, Executive Director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)
- Jim Winkler, President and General Secretary, National Council of Churches
- Zuhdi Jasser, President and Founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD)
- Nancy Taylor, Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS), Executive Director
- Rev. Margaret Rose, Ecumenical and Interreligious Deputy to the Presiding Bishop, The Episcopal Church
- Robert H. Stockman, Director, Wilmette Institute
- Darrin Rogers, Director, Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center at General Council of the Assemblies of God
- Stan Ingersol, Archives Manager at Nazarene Archives
- Stephen Murray, Executive Director, Congregational Library and Archives
- David Trim, Director of Archives, Statistics, and Research at the World Headquarters of Seventh-day Adventists.
- Dr. Mohammad Al-Issa, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League
- Maria Mazzenga, Curator, American Catholic History Collections, Special Collections, University Libraries, The Catholic University of America
The Museum
Explore the planned in-museum experience for the National Museum of American Religion in our Master Study.

Rendering of the outside of the National Museum of American Religion
The Museum will be located near the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Rendering of the Introductory Experience to the Museum
The Museum will feature a “Recording Booth” that will be used to record and collect visitors’ reactions to exhibits and questions.

Rendering of an Interactive Exhibit
This raised digital map will show religious immigration patterns to and within the United States.