Cardus, Canada’s Christian think tank, unveiled its 40-member Cabinet of Canadians on Nov. 1, whose role will be to affirm faith’s central role in building Canada as it celebrates its landmark anniversary of Confederation.

The Cabinet, part of the Faith in Canada 150 project, includes Toronto Cardinal Thomas Collins, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada president Bruce Clemenger, Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO) president Jeff Lockert and National Council of Canadian Muslims executive director Ishaan Gardee.

It will help lead the conversation regionally and nationally on the importance of religious faith in Canada’s history.

“There is growing discrimination against people of faith in Canada,” said Andrew Bennett, Cardus senior fellow and Canada’s former Ambassador of Religious Freedom. “We must speak out confidently and uphold this fundamental freedom in the face of growing intolerance of religious belief in our society.”

The Cabinet includes not only religious leaders, but also academics, social entrepreneurs and business leaders who will act as a “vanguard” for the message that faith matters in Canada, he said.

Cabinet co-chairs are Shachi Kurl, a public policy analysist with the Angus Reid Institute, and Balpreet Singh Boparai, legal counsel for the World Sikh Organization of Canada.

While about 20 members of the cabinet represent Christian leaders from Catholic, Orthodox and various Protestant backgrounds, the cabinet includes a wide breadth of other faiths.