For more than a hundred years, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has published the foremost religious liberty magazine in the nation. Local churches play a central role in the success of this ministry, by creating lists of key leaders in their community to whom the magazine is sponsored, and by raising funds for distribution. Yet many local church religious liberty programs are lackluster, at best.

To answer the need for more vigorous local church involvement in this ministry, the Pacific Union inaugurated this year a Religious Liberty Leader Certification Program. In-depth training in religious liberty ministry is being provided in a dozen locations throughout the Pacific Union. Training is given in the practical aspects of religious liberty, such as how to promote the religious liberty offering; where to obtain names for the Liberty magazine lists; the importance of the North American Religious Liberty Association; how to help church members with Sabbath problems; legislative advocacy; and the Workplace Religious Freedom Act.

By year's end, 150 religious liberty leaders are expected to participate in this training program and to begin the certification process. Those with an interest in serving in religious liberty ministry are urged to participate in an upcoming event, whether or not you currently serve as your local church religious liberty leader. The schedule of training events can be found at www.churchstate.org.