The Canterbury Forum’s name recognizes the fact that St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Cedar Falls provided space free of charge for the Forum’s programs for fifteen years, from the Forum’s founding in 2005 until our programs transitioned to Zoom during COVID. In the wake of COVID we made the decision to use Zoom exclusively because it insulates our programs from winter weather and because it makes it possible both to reach audiences and to utilize presenters far distant from northern Iowa. Aside from our past relationship, the Forum is not otherwise affiliated in any way with St. Luke’s, the Episcopal Church, or with any religious body. The fact that the majority of its programs have addressed Christian themes and issues reflects the fact that Christians constitute the great majority of the residents of the Cedar Valley. Forum programs typically examine issues from a moderate to liberal perspective both because that perspective reflects the point of view of the mainline faith communities that the Forum was created to serve and because conservative religious communities have a multitude of outlets through which they regularly present their own point of view.

The Canterbury Forum is committed to the mission of informing and educating the people of Iowa's Cedar Valley about religious issues and the complex interactions between religion, society, and culture. Typically, the Forum presents six programs a year, divided between a Fall (August-September-October) and a Winter/Spring (February-March-April) series. By the end of 2022, the Forum had presented one hundred-twenty programs. Forum programs last about an hour and a half (including time for questions), and typical attendance is between sixty and eighty people.

You can explore what the Forum has coming up by going to the Upcoming Forum Programs page on this website, and you can see what we've done since 2005 by checking out the topical listings under Past Programs. You can also email us. The Forum's e-mail address is canterburyforum@gmail.com. The Forum Coordinators send out email reminders about its programs and those activities to faith communities and individuals who so desire. The Forum never shares anyone’s email address with any other persons, groups, or organizations, under any circumstances.