His Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria, Alexander Scott, recently invited Cumbrian faith leaders to a special Service of Choral Evensong to Mark the 50th Anniversary of the County of Cumbria at Carlisle Cathedral, on Friday 4 October 2024.

The leader of BGKT Buddhist Group of Kendal (Theravada), John Gerrard, represented Buddhism and was accompanied by WCF member Jacquetta Gomes (Bodhicarini Upasika Jayasili). Jacquetta was one of the Founders of the Group in 1991. She also represented Westmorland and Furness Diversity Equity and Inclusion Partnership (WFDEIP), of which she is the Lead on Interfaith and Multifaith.

The Choir, faith leaders, Cathedral Chapter and Bishop of Carlisle entered during the processional hymn.  John Gerrard and Jacquetta were invited to walk in the Faith Leaders Procession. The ecumenical and interfaith guests sat in the sanctuary in the Sanctuary, near the high altar.

Faith community representatives from across Cumbria, from the Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian and Muslim communities read an Act of Commitment, using wording offered by the Inter Faith Network for the UK (see https://www.interfaith.org.uk/resources/act-of-commitment). As a representative of the Buddhist community, John Gerrard read the sentence "For justice and peace, respect for one another, for the earth and its creatures". As a representative of WFDEIP and the Buddhist community, Jacquetta read the sentence "For community, personal integrity, a sense of right and wrong".