Dr. William Vendley

Dr. William F. Vendley has dedicated his career to fostering interfaith dialogue and peace-building as Secretary General of Religions for Peace International from 1994 to 2019, where he coordinated activities across 90 national and 5 regional councils. His academic journey includes a BS from Purdue University, MA from Maryknoll School of Theology, and Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Fordham University, complemented by studies in Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Zen meditation practice in Japan. Under his leadership, he pioneered numerous peace initiatives, including establishing the Inter-religious Council of Bosnia-Herzegovina after the civil war and the Hope for African Children Initiative, which raised over $50 million to support communities affected by HIV/AIDS. His expertise spans theological education, where he served as Dean at Catholic Major Seminary and professor at Maryknoll School of Theology, to international diplomacy, serving as advisor to President Obama's Faith-Based Council and the US State Department. Currently serving as Senior Advisor at the Fetzer Institute and Secretary General Emeritus of Religions for Peace, he continues to advance personal and social transformation through interfaith cooperation. His work has been marked by concrete achievements in conflict resolution, from Sierra Leone to Iraq, while fostering multi-religious collaboration to address global challenges including poverty, climate change, and social justice.