I’m tired of hearing that religious liberty ministry is only important so that we have more time to do evangelism. I’m equally tired of being asked why we even care about religious liberty, since we’re merely delaying the coming of Christ. I’m tired of Adventist churches that don’t even know how to invite the public to an event, and host the community for a serious dialogue on current issues.

Seventh-day Adventists are world leaders in championing the cause of religious freedom. Around the globe, people are dying every day because of religiously motivated violence and war. Learning to live together in peace, despite our religious differences, is among the most important things we can do for national security and world peace. Properly understood, liberty and security are not in conflict but companions.

In 2008, an Adventist sponsored organization, the International Religious Liberty Association, will be conducting a series of at least half a dozen Festivals of Religious Freedom around the world, including Angola and Tanzania, in Africa; St. Petersburg, Russia, in Europe; Chile, Peru, Mexico and Brazil, in South America; and the Phillipines, in Asia. In Angola, plans are being laid for a stadium event to hold 60,000 people! The only festival being conducted in North America will be in Hawaii, in July. The North American Religious Liberty Association, together with Liberty magazine, are planning for a modest festival, with up to 5,000 visitors, including clergy of other faiths and elected officials. Broadcast coverage on local radio and television is expected.

Why bring the message of religious freedom to every continent and corner of the globe? Because it is critical to direct people’s attention to God, the author of freedom, and to thank our public servants who preserve our freedom. It is important to emphasize that no human authority has any right to interfere between the soul and its Creator.

Are you beginning to see the point of religious liberty ministry? Sure, we help church members with Sabbath problems at work—hundreds of church members every year. Sure, we monitor legislation that impacts our freedom, occasionally even sponsoring important bills like the Workplace Religious Freedom Act. Your letters, phone calls, and e-mails in support are still urgently needed, by the way, so check out www.religiousliberty.info right away, and see what you can do to get this bill passed.

Most of all, we are evangelists teaching the world about a loving God who gives freedom and does not twist anyone’s arms into believing or worshipping. Our chosen method of evangelism is to build bridges. Often we expect people to cross over and commit their lives to Christ without first building a bridge of common concern and understanding. In religious liberty ministry, we build the bridge. We reach out to leaders of other faiths and invite them to work with us in preserving our rights to believe and worship differently from one another. Because we respect their right to be different, they grow to respect and appreciate us, in turn. We reach out to elected officials and build bridges of understanding.

You too can build bridges in your community. You don’t have to wait for a Festival of Religious Freedom to host a public forum to discuss critical issues of liberty and security that impact everyone. If you would like to schedule such an event, please contact our office, and we will work with you in planning a program. Call: 805-413-7398, or e-mail: mrliberty@churchstate.org. And don’t forget to plan now for a summer vacation to Hawaii, and join us for the Hawaii Festival of Religious Freedom, July 11 and 12. More information is on our website, www.churchstate.org.

Also, for the first time in 2008, we will organize a limited number of seminars on immigration rights and responsibilities. These are designed especially for the Hispanic churches as a service to the community. Law professors, lawyers, and judges will be invited to partner with us in educating all in the community about the rights and responsibilities of immigrants. There is tremendous interest in these topics. Hispanic leaders are excited about the opportunity to both serve the community and build bridges by hosting these seminars.