Our shared, enduring legacy of religious freedom and liberty

This week, I had the privilege of attending the Global Religious Freedom Gathering hosted by Dallas Baptist University’s K. Randel Everett Center for Global Religious Freedom (CGRF). The Monday night dinner, with a packed audience, featured, among other things, an interview with Pastor Ezra Jin.

Pastor Jin, who leads a large congregation in China, was released from prison less than four months ago. He was put in jail for using the internet to do daily devotionals and stream worship services. His potential sentence was a lifetime. Thanks to the prayers of many, the advocacy of groups like the Everett Center and 21Wilberforce, and diplomacy, he was released.

I am thankful for Dr. Adam Wright, president of Dallas Baptist University, and Dr. Randel Everett, senior fellow for Religious Freedom at DBU and former Texas Baptists executive director, for their outstanding leadership researching solutions to global persecution and promoting international religious freedom for all.

One of the sobering statistics shared by the CGRF executive director, Knox Thames, was that 3 out of 4 people in the world are subject to some kind of religious persecution either by their government, majority populations or societal systems. The actual number is 6.4 billion people. There are 86 countries in the world whose governments or societies are hostile to religious freedom.

Christian brothers and sisters around the world suffer for their faith in Christ. As their brothers and sisters in Texas and the U.S., we are called to pray and advocate for them. Baptists have historically been champions of religious liberty. In fact, Baptists have long advocated for the religious freedom of all people, not just Baptists, and not just Christians.

During the Monday night program, the significance of the presence of former and current BGCT executive directors was noted. In addition to Randel Everett and me, Drs. Charles Wade and David Hardage were also present. Although Dr. Bill Pinson was not able to attend in person, he wrote indicating his support and endorsement of the event.

Five living BGCT executive directors were present along with other Texas Baptists staff and multiple Texas Baptists pastors and leaders. Such significant presence demonstrates that religious freedom for all has historically been and remains uniquely important to Texas Baptists.

One of the articles of the Baptist Faith and Message (BFM) that has remained the same in all three of its versions: 1925, 1963 and 2000, is the article on Religious Liberty. I believe it is worth sharing the entire text here to remind ourselves of this very vital Baptist distinctive.

“XVII Religious Liberty

God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it. Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God. The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.”

While we may have other differences among us as Baptists in regard to the Baptist Faith and Message, this one seems to have united us for over 100 years.

Although this Baptist Faith and Message article does not always get the same attention, it remains a core of not only our doctrine, but also our contribution to the global church in all its expressions, and to both domestic and international diplomacy. Religious Liberty as described in the BFM is not a secular humanist idea but a historical Baptist principle.

What a privilege we have to count on the work of the Texas Baptists Christian Life Commission, led by Dr. Katie Frugé, including the role of John Litzler, Public Policy director in Austin. One of the CLC’s policy priorities is Religious Liberty.

I invite you to pray for all the persecuted around the world and to invite your church to do so as well on Sunday, November 1, for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Get informed and find ways to use your voice for the voiceless. The 21 Wilberforce has several resources available on their website. Thank you for your support of the Texas Baptists Cooperative Program and the Christian Life Commission as we promote religious freedom for all.