e u s Is ry a rs e iv n n A th
0 1 l ia c e p
JUSTICE
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FAITH
Vo l u m e X , I s s u e 1
Familiar Faces Fresh Hope Updates From 10 Years Of Inspirational Stories
Alliance Defending Freedom
CONTENTS 3 In Focus: Ambassador Prayer Team “Without abiding in the Lord through prayer, we cannot fulfill that mission.”
5 Counterfeit Compassion: The Slippery Slope of Euthanasia Laws “This topic presents a real window of opportunity to influence the debate before the laws pass.”
8 Alliance Profile: Frente Nacional Por La Familia (National Front For The Family) “I think that the marches are the beginning of a social movement that will defend the family and the values in Mexico … Family is the solution.”
11 Seeking Justice For Iraqi Christians “We encountered traumatized families, people who had been tortured, children who had been abducted. But where there is great darkness, the light shines even brighter.”
13 Familiar Faces, Fresh Hope “I know I wouldn’t have the courage to pursue becoming a missionary if it hadn’t been for this case, and everything I went through.”
23 Q&A With New CEO Michael P. Farris “We can win. And the reason is because I have personally seen God deliver.”
Editor Emily Conley
Facebook.com/AllianceDefendingFreedom Senior Writer
Twitter - @ AllianceDefends
Chris Potts
Instagram.com/AllianceDefendingFreedom
Art Director/Photography
YouTube.com/AllianceDefends Questions? Comments? Please contact the editor: editor@adflegal.org 15100 N. 90th Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
ADFlegal.org
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800-835-5233
Bruce Ellefson
Contributors Emily Conley Sarah Kramer Chris Potts Alan Sears Jeff Shafer Jim Campbell Andreas Thonhauser
Alan Sears, Founder, with new ADF CEO Michael P. Farris.
Passing The Baton
By Alan Sears, Founder
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f you watch those relay races they run in the Olympics, you know how important the handoff is. At each segment of the race, the runner who will receive the baton has to kick up his heels at just the right moment, building his speed to match that of the runner approaching behind him. If the two don’t converge at the same pace, it’s all too easy to drop the baton and lose the race. One of the joys for me of handing off the “baton” of Alliance Defending Freedom’s leadership to new CEO Michael Farris has been in realizing how closely we are running at the same pace. Mike and I spent a lot of time together after the board selected him, including a drive up the California coast to meet with friends of ADF. Our conversations confirmed that our lives have followed similar paths, often involving the same people and comparable responsibilities. Along the way, we’ve picked up many of the same values and priorities. Among those: our mutual conviction that it’s a good leader’s job (in the words of ADF Founder Larry Burkett) to “make stars of others”—to enlist the best and wisest counsel, draw on the most dependable talents, and then be quick to share the glory as well as the responsibilities that come with our achievements. It’s never about “me.” It’s always about the team. “There is no limit to what a man can accomplish,” President Reagan used to say, “if he doesn’t care who gets the credit.” That’s more than polite generosity; it’s the cornerstone of building an effective alliance—joining worthy, able partners to do together what neither can do alone. What ADF wants to accomplish, of course, is to “keep the door open for the Gospel.” The key to accomplishing that lies in building alliances and helping others find and grow into God’s calling on their lives, something that we do through our Areté and Blackstone programs. As founder of both the Home School Legal Defense Association and Patrick Henry College, Michael Farris has invested his life in helping others reach their fullest potential—and he would be the first to tell you that the great success of both of those enterprises has come through the faithful help and selfless assistance of so many good people who share that commitment. Read more of his heart for the ministry and vision for victory in the Q&A on page 23. President Reagan also famously warned us that freedom “is always just one generation away from extinction.” That’s why Mike and I are both committed to passing our love for religious freedom on to the next generation. Running side by side for freedom’s future, we have no intention of dropping the baton.
Discover Michael P. Farris’ passion for Alliance Defending Freedom’s ministry and vision for victory in the Q&A on page 23.
Apart from Him, we can do nothing. — John 15:5
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There is a measurable, tangible bond that is created in the midst of unified prayer— an unbreakable bond with those whom we pray for, and a bond with each other.
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Kim B., La Mesa, California
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In Focus
Ambassador Prayer Team Prayer Key to Alliance Defending Freedom’s Success as a Ministry By Emily Conley
“P
rayer is a huge part of who we are and what we’re responsible for as team members and representatives of the ministry,” says Melanie Trautman, Ambassador Program Administrator. “We talk about our mission being John 15:5, ‘Apart from Christ, we can do nothing.’ Without abiding in the Lord through prayer, we cannot fulfill that mission. We cannot claim that as our verse unless we are praying.” Prayer has always been an integral part of Alliance Defending Freedom and the ADF Ambassador program, a program that connects individuals who volunteer to use their unique experiences, talents, and resources to spread the work of ADF in their area of influence. But it’s especially the passion of the Ambassador Prayer Team, a group of approximately 85 out of the 425 total Ambassadors. Trautman explained that while all ADF Ambassadors commit to praying for the ministry, the prayer team provides the opportunity to more specifically pray for ADF. “It’s their hearts’ desire to pray for the ministry, and it benefits them by giving them more of an awareness of what is going on inside ADF, in the personal lives of team members, our cases, and the ministry as a whole.” The team launched in 2011 at the Ambassador Summit, an event held every two years that gathers ADF Ambassadors together for a time of training and encouragement. After the closing banquet, Kim B., an Ambassador since 2009 in La Mesa, CA, felt led to gather a group of Ambassadors for prayer, and after that evening, ADF decided to make it an ongoing part of the program. The team is currently led by Toni A., an Ambassador since 2004 who lives in Charlotte, NC. Each week, Toni sends the prayer team a prayer sheet of Team Member requests, Ambassador requests, Ministry Friend requests, and requests
related to current cases or the ministry, and follows up to see if there have been answers to prayer. Once a month, the team connects over a conference call to hear an update from an ADF attorney or department leader, pray specifically over that person, and then read Scripture and pray for the requests and praises. The team visits the Scottsdale office a few times a year to worship and pray with ADF Team Members in person. Kim believes that the biggest praise wasn’t in the answered prayers. “Yes, I have seen God answer prayers for healing, for marriages, for babies, for restored relationships, for finances, for program initiatives, staffing needs … but I knew He would do that! What I find most amazing is the Prayer Team’s persevering in unity for those prayer needs still incubating,” she says. “There is a measurable, tangible bond that is created in the midst of unified prayer—an unbreakable bond with those whom we pray for, and a bond with each other … the joining of hearts, tears, laughter; and yes, sometimes the groans when we intercede for the felt needs for the people of ADF and ADF’s mission.” In the first Ambassador prayer meeting, Discover how God might use your unique the fledgling team covered ADF’s launch of experience, talents, and resources in a the Planned Parenthood powerful way as an ADF Ambassador. initiative in prayer. Fast Call 1-800-835-5233, or email forward six years. “We AMBleadership@adflegal.org today. are seeing all of the fruit of this initiative. Planned Parenthood has been hit hard,” Kim says. “I stand with my brothers and sisters on the prayer team that this prayer is already answered … we just don’t see all of it yet. We won’t stop hoping and expecting—for God will be glorified, and He keeps His promises!”
Photo: Members of the ADF Ambassador Prayer Team lift up requests at a recent gathering.
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Special Feature
Counterfeit Compassion The Slippery Slope of Euthanasia Laws By Emily Conley
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ne person’s choice affects so many others, as Tom Mortier, a university professor in Belgium discovered. He once supported the country’s liberal euthanasia laws for the reasons that many do: it seemed to him if a person wants to end their life, it’s their choice. But one person’s tragic decision changed all that. “My mother had a severe mental problem,” he told ADF International. “She had to cope with depression throughout her life. She was treated for years by psychiatrists, and the contact between us was broken. A year later, she received a lethal injection.” He pauses. Neither the oncologist who administered the injection, nor the hospital, had informed him or any of his siblings that his mother was even considering euthanasia. “And the day after, I was contacted by the hospital, asking me to take care of the practicalities following the euthanasia of my mother.” His anger and sadness are palpable. “You see how terribly this injustice has impacted his family and how terribly he feels betrayed … this is a burden on his family, on his marriage, on his children,” says Sophia Kuby, Director of European Union Advocacy. “Originally, it was positioned as a ‘compassionate’ solution to allow those with terminal conditions to ‘die with dignity’ and alleviate suffering,” says Anita Silmser, Director of Marketing and Communications for ADF International, “but it’s really
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become an ‘easy solution’ to deal with the old, the sick, and the weak. When a person has requested euthanasia, if they receive palliative care, which involves alleviating their physical suffering and providing emotional support, they change their mind 90% of the time.” “The big problem in our society,” agrees Mortier, “is that apparently we have lost the meaning of taking care of each other.” When euthanasia, or doctor-assisted death, was first legalized, “unbearable suffering” meant suffering from a physical terminal illness. Promises were made that it would be well regulated, with strict criteria. But today, 15 years later, the demand for euthanasia has increased a hundredfold from when it was first legalized. The next step was legalizing child euthanasia—there is now no age restriction for minors in Belgium. Currently, symptoms of worsening eyesight, hearing, and mobility—what we would consider normal aging—can be considered by law as “unbearable suffering” and qualify patients for euthanasia. Lawmakers have proposed limiting the freedom of conscience and silencing doctors who are opposed to carrying out euthanasia, and most recently, in the Netherlands, a bill has been proposed to allow euthanasia just for being “tired of life.”
Take action to stop the spread of dangerous euthanasia laws at ADFLegal.org/FJ-Dignity
The big problem in our society is that apparently we have lost the meaning of taking care of each other.
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Tom Mortier Euthanasia is quickly becoming the norm and not the exception. “You see how it goes further and further,” says Sophia Kuby. “And so that’s why it is important to show that there is no logical stopping point once you go down that road.” In the shadow of this bleak cultural shift, ADF International launched the Affirming Dignity campaign. The campaign videos use firsthand testimonies to illuminate the reality of Belgium and the Netherland’s euthanasia laws. The campaign has three objectives: first, to encourage robust debate by warning other countries of the slippery slope that occurs when legislation is passed that allows doctor-assisted suicide or euthanasia. Second, to strengthen the case of palliative care as an alternate solution to doctor-assisted suicide. And third, to encourage
countries considering legalizing euthanasia to not make the same mistake as Belgium and the Netherlands. Tom Mortier also shares his story in the documentary, along with experts on ethics, oncology, nursing, psychotherapy, and pediatric palliative care. “It’s really the right moment now, because we are just at the turning point from not having this debate at all in other countries to having it in many countries at once,” explains Kuby. “We saw Canada passing a very liberal euthanasia bill. Even in Latin America, Colombia—in several states in America—it’s being discussed. This push can very, very quickly lead to a change of legislation that consequently leads to a change of culture that you can observe in the Netherlands and Belgium.” This sobering culture shift (continued on page 22)
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News & Quick Takes HEADLINE
QUOTABLE
Student Club Supporters Arrested for Handing Out U.S. Constitution at Michigan College, ADF Sues Campus security arrested three people handing out copies of the U.S. Constitution to promote the Young Americans for Liberty club. The school claims the club supporters violated its policy that requires that students and others obtain permission from the school before they engage in any expressive activity anywhere on campus, including distribution of any written material. The lawsuit explains that the policy is, you guessed it … unconstitutional.
“American taxpayer dollars have many good uses, but paying for elective abortions overseas is not, and never has been, one of them.” Steven H. Aden, Senior Counsel, on President Trump’s executive action to restore the ban on international abortion funding
TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH
83%
SUPREME COURT HEARING
APRIL 19, 2017
LISTEN
“Pro-Life is Pro-Woman.” On Freedom Matters, an Alliance Defending Freedom podcast, join host Kellie Fiedorek to discuss the stunning undercover report showing employees admitting that Planned Parenthood does not offer prenatal care for women. The primary option they offer a woman is to end the life of the child in her womb.
Listen at: soundcloud.com/freedommatters
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Percentage of Americans who oppose the use of tax dollars to support abortions in other countries.*
Percentage of Americans who want abortion banned or restricted to the first trimester.*
74%
*New Marist Poll—kofc.org/un/en/news/polls
READ
Freedom of Conscience Means Ellen DeGeneres Can Disinvite Kim Burrell, but What About Our Clients? Read the blog post at ADFlegal.org/Blog search keyword “Ellen.”
Alliance Profile
Frente Nacional Por La Familia (National Front For The Family)
By Jeff Shafer, Senior Counsel & Sarah Kramer, Digital Content Specialist
“It’s time to act for the family, Your voice with mine we can achieve it, Our steps will speak the power of truth, Rescuing the principles of the original design.”
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o says the (translated) chorus of the theme song of a pro-family campaign in Mexico last year that culminated in high-visibility marches in over one hundred cities around the country. That effort was led by the Frente Nacional Por La Familia (FNF)—representing a broad coalition of civil society organizations. Its campaign was a truly remarkable alliance achievement. (More on that shortly.) Just as in the U.S., the marriage deconstruction crusade is in full swing in Mexico. Its Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled state laws upholding traditional marriage and family standards as unconstitutional. In response, a pro-family organization gathered enough signatures to propose a citizen-initiated amendment to the Mexican Constitution. That initiative, submitted to the national Senate in February of 2016, presents the traditional definition of marriage, affirms parental educational authority, and sets forth related norms of the natural family structure. Just a few months later, however, the President introduced a counter-amendment that would redefine marriage in the Constitution to include same-sex unions. He also proposed a legislative package that would negatively impact family law throughout the nation. FNF went to work. It crafted educational efforts, engaged in public advocacy, and organized a grassroots movement to protect and defend natural marriage and family in the law. The result was a national phenomenon.
“Help arrived from many sides,” says FNF’s Juan Antonio López Baljarg. “The commitment of the civil society, pro-family and pro-life groups, the church and different religions, politicians, communicators in media, and social media was essential.” “FNF is the broadest and strongest coalition of pro-family organizations and institutions that Mexico has ever seen, everyone pulling in the same direction,” says Katharina Rothweiler, who now oversees alliance relationships in Latin America for ADF International, and who worked closely with FNF on this project. FNF’s tireless efforts led to an unprecedented display of support for the family via marches held across Mexico that together drew 1.7 million participants. On September 10, marches were held in 122 cities. Nearly 1.3 million people parExperience the ticipated. Then on September 24, March for Marriage the National March for Marriage in the video at took place in Mexico’s capital city, ADFlegal.org/FJ-March in which approximately 450,000 people joined (photo above). “I think that the marches are the beginning of a social movement that will defend the family and the values in Mexico,” says López Baljarg. “The family is important for the society; it is your present and your future. Family is the solution.” In November, the President’s marriage-redefinition amendment was voted down in Congressional committee. But the battle for the family continues in Mexico—as it does across the globe. FNF has provided an encouraging and instructive example of vigilance and cooperation in service of the common good.
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Opinion
If Designers Can Refuse To Dress The Trumps, Other Artists Deserve The Same Freedom by Jim Campbell, Senior Counsel
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any business professionals yearn to live an authentic life—to conduct themselves according to the principles they hold dear. With the election of Donald Trump, this desire for genuine authenticity has swept through the fashion industry. As a recent Washington Post column noted, a number of famous designers have refused to dress Melania and Ivanka Trump because they abhor the president’s policies and practices. As Robin Givhan explained in that column, these artists view fashion as their “tool for communicating [their] world vision . . . in the same way that a poet’s words or a musician’s lyrics are a deeply personal reflection of the person who wrote them.” In their minds, designing dresses for a member of the Trump family would express approval of the president’s politics. “As for those designers for whom fashion serves as their voice in the world,” Givhan concluded, “they should not feel obligated to say something in which they do not believe.” Well said. That same respect for freedom—and the right to live with authenticity—must apply to other artistic professionals, too. That includes people such as Blaine Adamson, a printer in Kentucky who objected to the messages on a promotional item he was asked to create for a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pride festival. It also belongs to Lorie Smith, a graphic designer in Colorado who declines to build wedding websites that express ideas in conflict with her views about marriage, and Carl Larsen, a filmmaker in Minnesota who does not wish to be forced to tell the story of certain religious events (like same-sex weddings) that are at odds with his beliefs. If fashion designers can say no to the first lady, then Adamson, Smith and Larsen must also be allowed to decline to communicate messages that they consider objectionable. A number of now-pending lawsuits will soon decide the rights of these other professionals. So far, a court has ruled only in Adamson’s case, finding that he may follow his conscience and decline to print a shirt promoting a gay pride festival. But that ruling is on appeal. The similarities between the fashion designers’ stance and that of the other professionals is impos-
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sible to ignore. They all share a deep conviction about their need to live authentically. They feel so strongly about this that they are willing to endure great cost to do so. For example, by declining to create the first lady’s Inauguration Day dress, Givhan observed, fashion designers are forfeiting the chance to be “instantly written into the history books,” to become a part of fashion lore. Adamson, Smith and Larsen also face stiff costs for their stand: potential loss of all or some of their businesses; calls for boycotts of their companies; streams of hate mail; and, in Larsen’s case, up to 90 days in jail. Despite this similarity and others, there is at least one notable difference between the fashion designers’ opposition to the Trumps and Adamson’s, Smith’s and Larsen’s unwillingness to express certain messages: The designers’ objections are tinged with animosity toward the people whom they refuse to serve. As Givhan said, they object to merely associating with Donald Trump or the female members of his family. And these fashion moguls seemingly won’t design any clothes for the Trumps, regardless of the event that they’re for. In contrast, Adamson, Smith and Larsen serve all people, regardless of their political views, race, sex or sexual orientation. What they can’t do, however, is speak all messages. These convictions evince no spite toward any person or class of people. Rather, they reflect these professionals’ genuine concern with preserving their expressive integrity—their unwillingness to lend their voice to a cause that they cannot in conscience support. Amid the political rancor that surrounds the new Trump presidency, those freedoms are something that we all should be able to rally around.
Support these legal efforts at ADFlegal.org/FJ-Donate
A version of this article originally appeared in The Washington Post on 1/18/2017.
Carl Larsen
The similarities between the fashion designers’ stance and that of the other professionals is impossible to ignore. — Jim Campbell
Blaine Adamson with an employee
Lorie Smith
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My View
Seeking Justice For Iraqi Christians by Andreas Thonhauser, Director of Communications, Europe
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he did not blink. We could tell that the mother of three had shared her story before. Marijam* remained calm while her husband translated every word that she so carefully formulated. After the terrorists had stormed her brother Jakub’s house in a small village in the Nineveh plain in the northern part of Iraq, they first beat him. But when he started to push back, to defend his children and his wife, they immediately struck him down. “We will crucify you like Jesus Christ,” they threatened him. And then the torture began. They made his children watch. He was beaten with rods and with sticks with sharp nails at one end. They tore off his clothes. They spat at him. They kicked and stabbed him. From six o’clock in the afternoon until eleven o’clock at night they would not let go of him. They finally nailed his hands to a wooden plank and erected the cross. Then they let him hang. All the while they forced his family to watch, until they shot him in his mouth. His wife and kids have barely recovered from this traumatic experience. They are being treated and taken care of at a secret location.
Nightmare Without End For Jakub’s family, the nightmare had an end, albeit a tragic one. For most of the Iraqi Christians, they have yet to wake up. This is true even for those who managed to escape the murderous hands of ISIS and fled to Iraq’s neighboring countries. Tens of thousands of Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities abandoned their homes in the Nineveh plain when ISIS started to attack in the summer of 2014. Mosul fell in July, Qaraqosh, a mainly Christian city in the same region, followed in August. Most managed to escape to
Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish controlled part of Iraq. Many are still there, housed in refugee camps, living in tents, hoping for the benevolence of the few Christians and churches of the city. Those who had some money, or resources like their own car, tried to leave Iraq altogether. Amman, the capital city of Jordan, was one of the places where many Christians fled.
A Light in the Darkness This is where we met Marijam and her family. We went to Amman to document testimonies of Iraqi Christians that had escaped ISIS. ADF International’s attorneys and experts made sure they were recorded appropriately to be acceptable by international tribunals and their Commissions of Inquiry. It was not an easy mission. We encountered traumatized families, people who had been tortured, children who had been abducted. But where there is great darkness, the light shines even brighter. Many are helping. We met our allies on the ground, Christian organizations who were distributing food and counseling, trying to comfort the refugees in their plight. Knowing that the families we would interview are living in extreme poverty, we also asked our colleagues around the world to help us provide some food for the refugees. The response from our team members was astonishing. We were able to deliver more than 60 food packs, each supplying a family of six to eight for at least eight weeks.
Documenting Their Testimonies ADF International is not a humanitarian organization. It is important to fight the symptoms, but we want to defeat the disease. In this case it means bringing the perpetrators of genocide to * names changed for security reasons
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Top left: ISIS sprayed the Arabic letter N on doors in Mosul, to mark the houses of Christians that ought to be raided. ‘N’ stands for Nazarene. Top right and bottom: ADF International team members distribute food packs to Iraqi Christian refugees. justice and ensuring the protection of and support for the victims. The first step is to have an international recognition that genocide is taking place. Since January we have provided evidence and legal analysis to the UK Parliament, the U.S. State Department, and international institutions including the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, each of which went on to condemn the atrocities perpetrated by ISIS as genocide. Sadly, the UN Security Council still has not done so. It also has not referred the situation to the International Criminal Court. But we are still attempting to get the Court involved as we continue to gather the much needed evidence of the crimes committed against Christians in the Middle East.
In the meantime, we have used the testimonies collected to raise awareness at the U.N. at a large event in Geneva and at a media symposium in Brussels, and the media is taking notice.
Visitors, Not Refugees
ACT NOW to protect Christians from genocide at ADFlegal.org/FJ-Genocide
Jordan allowed Iraqi Christians into its territory as visitors, not as refugees. The kingdom is known for its tolerance of other religions and Christians have a fairly safe life. But Iraqis have to pay for their food, their lodging, and Jordan is not cheap. Since they are not allowed to earn money, most of the Christians have used up whatever resources they (continued on page 22)
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Familiar Faces Fresh Hope Updates From 10 Years Of Inspirational Stories b y
C h r i s
P o t t s
F
rom its genesis, Alliance Defending Freedom has placed a premium on three core convictions: the sanctity of human life, the centrality of marriage and family as God designed them, and the priority of religious freedom as the enduring foundation for every other liberty we cherish. But while our attorneys and allies have stood in courts around the world in defense of these convictions, in the end, the ideas are only as vivid as the people who embody them. Because the law, of course, is really about people —about the conflicts that divide them, the ideals that unite them, and the ongoing struggles over the moral code we share as a society. Which is why Faith & Justice was created, 10 years ago: to put a human face on the issues that can so easily dissolve into endless arguments. To give our readers a sense of what it feels like to be on the front lines of these seismic shifts in the law and culture.
The Bible tells how the prophet Elijah, at a particularly low moment of self-pity and despair, whined to God that he was the only one left really trying to be faithful to his Lord. The Almighty begged to differ, reminding him that: “I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him (1 Kings 19:18).” In these days of rising persecution and opposition against Christians all over the world, the people on these pages are a reminder that so many of every age and region, background and denomination still haven’t bowed to the idols. And that none of us who stand with our Father stands alone.
Photo: Client stories from the last 10 years
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God gives each of us an opportunity; it will come, when we have to decide if we will follow Christ or not. That’s a test we want to pass.
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Julea Ward
The Counselor Julea Ward
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ulea Ward, a former high school teacher, was completing a degree in counseling when she asked her adviser about referring someone in a same-sex relationship to another counselor, since her Christian faith would not allow her to endorse his relationship. As a result, Julea endured examination by a panel of professors who mocked her faith and expelled her from the counseling program. She lost the first round, but with ADF’s involvement, the school then eventually settled the case, paid Julea’s damages, and removed the expulsion from her record. Today, eight years after we first introduced you to her, Julea is exactly where she wanted to be—counseling students. “Be encouraged,” she tells other Christian students, “you don’t walk into that lion’s den by yourself. God goes before you, and you’re never alone. There is a temptation to compartmentalize. But your relationship with Christ cannot be compartmentalized. Do you want to compromise that relationship with Him? God gives each of us an opportunity when we have to decide if we will follow Christ or not. That’s a test we want to pass.” She and her husband, Darryl, are already preparing their two young daughters for the challenges they will someday face. “We are teaching them to understand that God is always first,” Julea says. “When you put Him first, things work out. Some people may disagree with what you say and do for Him, but that’s okay—never be ashamed to stand for the Lord.” Because, she says, the standing never ends. “It’s not over. The case may be over, but looking at the big picture—it is far from over. As I look and see the direction in which our country and our world are going … I’ve got to step up my game. God may ask me to do something even harder next time.”
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D
espite the outstanding record of success God has granted ADF, not every case is a win. And no loss has been more heartbreaking to the ministry’s attorneys, staff, friends, and allies than the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear the case of Jonathan and Elaine Huguenin—a decision that has come to define the growing legal threat to people of faith in America. In 2006, based on her faith convictions, Elaine Huguenin politely declined a request to use her photography skills and artistic talents to celebrate a same-sex commitment ceremony. The couple found another photographer, but still filed a complaint against the Huguenins. The Commission quickly ruled against the Huguenins —even though the state itself did not recognize same-sex unions at the time. Along with a severe financial penalty, the Huguenins received hate mail, obscene calls, personal attacks, and a particularly vicious death threat. Ultimately, they left the photography business. In 2013, the New Mexico Supreme Court upheld the Commission’s decision. One of the justices who joined that decision bluntly said that the Huguenins “now are compelled by law to compromise the very religious beliefs that inspire their lives.” That compromise, the justice said, is “the price of citizenship” in America. With that tragic ruling, the Huguenins’ case is closed, but it sounded an emphatic wake-up call for other Christian artists across the country, and it paved the way to seek out new ways of challenging that dangerous legal precedent. Arizona artists Joanna Duka and Breanna Koski, Colorado graphic designer Lorie Smith, and Minnesota filmmakers Carl and Angel Larsen, have all enlisted ADF to challenge similar unjust laws before they can be punished for violating them. “I feel like [our business] was created for such a time as this,” says Angel Larsen. “I never anticipated it to come to this point, but when we go forward … I just think, I want to help my children preserve their religious freedom, and if I don’t do something now, I’ll look back and totally regret it.” That “best-defense-is-a-good-offense” strategy may one day be the most enduring legal legacy of the Huguenins.
ThePhotographer Jonathan and Elaine Huguenin
The stories on these pages are the result of perseverance over years, sometimes decades. If you’re willing to join us for the long haul, for a limited time, ADF is offering Though Trials May Come, a book of dozens more inspiring stories. Join us as a monthly partner at $25 or more:
ADFlegal.org/FJ-Trials
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I
n the space of the ministry’s 23 years, Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys and their allies have represented thousands of clients. Only one has become a full-fledged folk hero. For Barronelle Stutzman, the case began—and will end—with a friendship. A favorite longtime customer, Rob Ingersoll, asked her to design custom flower arrangements that would celebrate his same-sex marriage. She couldn’t do it. Her Christian beliefs prevented her from promoting marriage as anything other than what God had designed it to be: one man, one woman, for life. She gently tried to explain that to Rob, and he said he understood. They hugged, he left—and all hell broke loose. The ACLU got involved, persuading the friend and his partner to sue. Her state’s attorney general singled her out for prosecution. Depositions and court appearances began. People all over the world wrote and called, some sending hate, more sending love and the promise of prayers. That show of popular support continued to be abundantly evident at Barronelle’s appearance before the Washington Supreme Court last fall, when 600 people waited for two hours in cold, rainy weather to pack out the auditorium and overflow rooms. Regrettably that court ruled against her in February 2017—a decision that could let the ACLU take away her home, her business, her life savings. She plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. “The questions I’ve had to face are questions all of us have to ask, at some point,” she says. “How much am I willing to give to Christ? Am I willing to take a stand? What do I own that isn’t His? In the end, all we have left are these lives that we’re living. And that’s what we offer [the] Lord.” Throughout all the media tumult, the legal marathon, the personal exhaustion, Barronelle says, two constants have endured: God’s faithfulness to her, and her desire to be faithful to Him. “I know that God’s promises are true,” she says. “Regardless of whether we win or lose … it’s already a part of God’s plan and will be used for His glory. So how can we really lose?” Leave it to a florist to prove that, even under extraordinary pressure … some people’s faith can blossom.
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The Florist Barronelle Stutzman
Regardless of whether we win or lose … it’s already a part of God’s plan and will be used for His glory.
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Barronelle Stutzman
We just wanted to make an impact on the neighborhood—to be salt and light.
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Pastor Jack Roberts
The Pastors
Robert Hall and Jack Roberts From left: Jordan Lorence (ADF attorney), Robert Hall, Alan Sears (ADF Founder), and Jack Roberts
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astors Robert Hall and Jack Roberts aren’t like most pastors. They not only built their congregation in a challenging Bronx neighborhood, but along with their wives, raised 18 children amid the violence and poverty. Through the Bronx Household of Faith, the two men have ministered Christ’s love to people without even a church building to call their own. In 1994, the church sought permission from the New York City public schools to meet for its worship service in a nearby school building that sat vacant on weekends. Although the NYC schools allowed community groups to meet for any purpose “pertaining to the welfare of the community,” they said no to worship services because of concerns about government “establishing religion.” ADF fought this policy in federal court for the next 20 years. For 13 years, 2002-2015, ADF lawyers won and kept in place a federal court order that allowed not only Bronx Household, but dozens of other religious groups, to begin meeting in schools throughout New York City. In 2015, the legal battle came to a halt when the U.S. Supreme Court, for the third time, declined to hear the Bronx Household case. Hours later, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio lifted the city’s ban on worship services in public schools. For now, countless souls will continue to hear the Gospel and be blessed by the hands-on ministries of local church groups. “We just wanted to make an impact on the neighborhood—to be salt and light,” says Roberts. “And we have. We’ve seen lives changed and families affected. Even the court case has been a part of that. It’s not exactly what we envisioned, but in some ways … it’s better. I hope those who come after us will be able to fulfill even more of that vision.”
Watch the inspiring video of our clients sharing the impact of their cases: ADFlegal.org/FJ-Anniversary
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The Woman On The Sidewalk Eleanor McCullen
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ADFlegal.org/FJ-Trials
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lanned Parenthood had grown exasperated with Eleanor McCullen’s effective approach with women coming to their Boston facility—no preaching, just a beautiful smile and arms open wide. The Massachusetts Attorney General and Planned Parenthood decided to make a once-and-for-all example of Eleanor, and persuaded the legislature to create a 35foot “buffer zone.” The new law would silence Eleanor and other sidewalk counselors by effectively gagging free speech on Boston’s public sidewalks. When we interviewed her in 2014, Eleanor knew of at least 200 babies whose lives she’d helped save. Planned Parenthood and the attorney general’s office had near endless personnel and financial resources. ADF Allied Attorney Michael DePrimo worked out of his den. He and Eleanor lost in four courts before the U.S. Supreme Court
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agreed to hear the case—and ruled unanimously in Eleanor’s favor. Now, Planned Parenthood has Eleanor in front of their door again. The attorney general ran for governor and lost. The Supreme Court decision is still reverberating in other “buffer zone” cases all over the U.S., enabling thousands of other sidewalk counselors across the country to intercede for lives in the womb. “This was not just about a buffer zone,” says Eleanor, now in her 80s. “It was about the free speech that we all enjoy. I was never fearful or nervous. I was filled with peace, because we were proceeding under the hand of God.” She has no illusion that Planned Parenthood won’t continue looking for ways to silence its opponents, but urges her fellow counselors to “pray for courage. Stop ‘attempting to discern’ and start doing something. Speak the truth, not for your glory—but for God’s.”
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en-year-old Katie Ayers left home one morning excited to give her classmates invitations to an upcoming Christmas party at her church, but was told by school administrators that, unlike invites for birthday parties or soccer games, invitations to a church party required special permission from school administrators—and permission was denied. Katie and her family, with the help of ADF, filed a lawsuit challenging the school district’s policies, and ultimately, won. As a result, one of the classmates Katie invited to a church party placed her faith in Jesus, and soon her family, too, became Christians. “I had to rely on God,” she says of her trial, and that “shaped my faith into what it is today. Whenever I get discouraged, I can look back at that moment when God gave me the faith to take a stand—and then went on to use that stand to make a real difference. If He did it then, what’s to stop Him from doing it again … no matter what situation I’m up against?” In Katie’s home state of Pennsylvania, the court’s decision freed nearly two million schoolchildren to share their faith on campus. Now 17, Katie started and leads a morning prayer group at her high school and is involved with a drama ministry team at her church. After high school, she plans to become a medical missionary in Africa. “I really feel like it all started with the foundation of this case,” says Katie. “It jump-started my relationship with God and my faith. It’s really shaped me to be who I am today. And shaped my future of who I want to be, taking me from that shy, back-of-the-classroom girl to someone who shares the love of Christ and tells people about Him. I want to bring hope where there is no hope, to be light in a dark place.”
The Student Katie Ayers
I know I wouldn’t have the courage to pursue becoming a missionary if it hadn’t been for this case, and everything I went through.
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Katie Ayers
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Being involved in this lawsuit and working with ADF pulled us out of our circle and gave us a glimpse of how big our God really is.
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Clyde Reed
The Soul Winners
Clyde and Ann Reed
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t’s typical of Clyde Reed that when he retired from pastoring a few years ago, he began planting churches. That effort brought him and his wife, Anne, to the town of Gilbert, Arizona, where he nurtured a fledgling congregation in the music room at the back of an elementary school campus. Understanding that his church might be hard to find, he put out signs on nearby streets, directing passersby to the Sunday service. Local officials soon began confiscating the signs and citing the Reeds—warning them that they faced stiff fines and even jail time. Curiously, the city had no problem with a lot of other people putting up a lot of other kinds of signs—political, personal, commercial. That discrepancy led the Reeds and their ADF attorneys through eight years of losing court appearances that finally culminated at the U.S. Supreme Court—and a unanimous win that strongly affirmed the free speech of churches. At 82, Clyde has finally decided to retire “for real.” But the church he planted in Gilbert will have a longlasting impact on free speech in this nation. His small church’s big win at the Supreme Court has prompted cities nationwide to review their speech policies with regard to churches and even pro-life advocates, and it has inspired many churches to stand more boldly for their legal rights. “Even as we were losing, Ann and I watched other ADF cases unfolding, and we realized how little we had sacrificed personally compared to our brothers and sisters. Through those other ADF clients, we saw how God sustains those who follow His will.” “After decades of ministry, I’ve learned that it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture,” Clyde says. “You get busy with your own little circle of Christians, your own denomination and its missionaries. Being involved in this lawsuit and working with ADF pulled us out of our circle and gave us a glimpse of how big our God really is.”
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Counterfeit Compassion
(continued from page 6)
in the Netherlands and Belgium inspired the urgency of the campaign. “People can no longer separate their human dignity from their abilities,” explains Silmser. “In their mind, their lives are valuable only as long as they’re able to work and function independently. Their human dignity is subjective, dependent on their physical abilities or being a ‘productive’ member of society, not on their inherent worth as a human being. And that’s really tragic.” As soon as the campaign launched, we received requests for the videos to be translated into many languages, including French, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, Portuguese, Finnish, and German. Since ADF International has paved the way and offered support, allied organizations have been emboldened to organize their own campaigns and events.
Seeking Justice For Iraqi Christians
To view the videos and join the campaign efforts, visit AffirmingDignity.org. Share the videos, organize screenings at parishes, churches, or universities, or just bring up the topic to those in your area of influence. Kuby says: “We need to say loud and clear that there is no so-called ‘right to die’ under international law and that there is a better solution than euthanasia: palliative care and solidarity with the weak and vulnerable. Once we legalize euthanasia, there is no logical stopping point as to who should be entitled to ask for it.” ADF International hopes the campaign will continue to grow and spread. “We’re only limited by budget, but we have lots of ideas for what else we could do,” says Kuby. “This topic presents a real window of opportunity to influence the debate before the laws pass.”
(continued from page 12)
had stowed away somewhere. They are desperate because they know they will not be able to survive much longer. “We are all hoping to be granted refugee status soon to leave the Middle East and continue on to Canada or Australia,” Salam explained to us. The young Christian from Qaraqosh was our guide in Amman. He took and introduced us to the families we interviewed. And all of them agreed with Salam: They are desperate to leave Jordan. Most of them don’t want to go back to Iraq, either. They don’t trust their neighbors anymore. One told us that he saw how some of his former friends welcomed ISIS into Mosul, handing the fighters little chocolate bars.
The Mark of the Outlaws Although their patriarchs want the refugees to return to their homes once ISIS is defeated, the Christians in Amman have different ideas. “In Iraq there is no future for us,” Mikhail* explains. Together with his wife he oversees a small project run by a Christian church in Amman, allowing refugees to voluntarily produce tiles, caps, t-shirts, soaps, and bookmarks that are being used to raise funds. Nobody gets paid, but they do receive support. Mikhail shows us their products. The tiles are beautifully crafted and display the Arabic letter N. “ISIS sprayed this symbol on our doors in Mosul, to mark the houses of Christians that ought to be raided. ‘N’ stands for Nazarene, which denotes those who follow Jesus of Nazareth,” he explained. It also marked those who had lost all their rights.
Losing Everything but Their Lives Like all the others, Mikhail and his family lost everything but their lives. He still does not feel safe. ISIS also
has followers in Amman and many believe their numbers are growing rapidly. But Mikhail cannot leave. He is not recognized as a refugee. He cannot work. He has been waiting for a long time to be allowed to leave the country with his wife and kids and travel on to a safer place, start a new life, and put behind them what has happened in Iraq. Maybe he would consider returning to the Nineveh plain in a few years if it is safe enough. According to the definition of international law, Mikhail should be considered a victim of genocide. Therefore, he should deserve some kind of protection and at least the right to migrate, if he so wishes. But the international community is slow to act. Perhaps his testimony will help to convince the powerful to assist the desperate? “My children should grow up in a better place,” he told us. This is what keeps him going.
Stop the Idea of ISIS Like all the people we interviewed, Mikhail does not seek revenge. He gathers weekly with friends to pray for the terrorists, so that their hearts might be transformed. Nevertheless, he is very clear about what he expects from the international community: justice. He wants ISIS to be held accountable for what they have done to his family, to his people, to his country. “We need to stop the idea of ISIS,” he said, which is to kill everyone who does not share their opinions and belief. Let us make no mistake, nothing will bring back people like the crucified Jakub. But holding the perpetrators to account might save Jakub’s children from experiencing their father’s suffering all over again.
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with
New ADF CEO Michael P. Farris Michael P. Farris joined Alliance Defending Freedom in January as the second CEO in the ministry’s history. Best known as the founder and longtime president of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), he also founded Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia, and served as its president for six academic years. He is a constitutional attorney who has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, eight U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal, and 10 state supreme courts. An ordained minister and former pastor, he has authored more than 15 books and for many years hosted the daily radio program “Homeschool Heartbeat.”
What inspired you to take on the position as CEO, President, and General Counsel of an organization engaged with so many intense, complex, and far-reaching issues? My desire to serve at ADF is born out of my respect for Alan Sears and the desire to work with him on an ongoing basis. He and I share a passion for liberty and a conviction that the whole Body of Christ needs to stand together when the world is on the attack. I’m here because I believe in winning, and I know we can win. Growing ADF is essential and a building block for winning. I want ADF to be bigger, better, and far more known and more effective than the ACLU. People in the Washington, D.C. area who work
with our issues respect ADF at the highest possible level—but I want the whole country to know this organization. That kind of growth is essential for our long-term success. But that’s not truly winning. Winning means that we see the free exercise of religion broadly protected, every day of the week, in every sector of our society. Winning means the protection of human life culminating in the reversal of Roe v. Wade. Winning means protecting the right of parents to raise their children according to their own faith, morals, and values. Winning means reversing the judicial tyranny over marriage and returning the matter to the states. That’s how I define winning. And I’m here because we can win in every single one of those sectors.
Photo: From the left—Paula and Alan Sears (ADF Founder) walking with the new ADF CEO Michael Farris and his wife Vickie.
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We’re going to prevail in the fight.
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M i c h a e l P. F a r r i s , A D F P r e s i d e n t , C E O , a n d G e n e r a l C o u n s e l
ADF is facing formidable opposition in the courts and the culture. Does that concern you? The other side is very smart, well-organized, well-funded—and they do not play fair. But despite all that, we can win. And the reason is because I have personally seen God deliver. I’ve seen in Scripture the truth that God fights for His people. And I believe every word in the Bible. But it’s encouraging to have seen that same kind of deliverance with my own eyes—and I have seen it. We’re going to prevail in the fight. We’re going to prevail on religious freedom. We’re going to prevail on human life. And we’re going to prevail on marriage.
What do you feel is “mission critical” for ADF going forward here? Religious freedom is at the top of our list. We have to make sure religious freedom is protected 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Within the ministry itself, it’s mission critical for all of us to be faithful to the principles this organization was founded on. If we don’t remain true to the original vision, to being a Christ-centered organization, we will not maintain the integrity of ADF. This ministry has the highest possible reputation for integrity. Preserving that is essential.
What do you see as ADF’s competitive advantage? In the sphere where I’ve been working for a long time, ADF is known as being excellent at what it does and full of integrity in how it does it. I was in the Soviet Union one time with (former U.S. Congressman and ADF board member) Frank Wolf, and we called him “the Velvet Hammer,” because he delivered a very tough message, but he did it with such elegance and grace.
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And that’s the way I view ADF. Our clients want us to be tough, and ADF is tough. But ADF is never seen as a bully. It’s a formidable organization that brings to the table excellence in everything it does. And that reputation is a big part of its competitive advantage.
What changes in culture do you predict in the next five to 10 years? The change that bothers me the most is seeing Christian young people being dragged over to the other side, particularly on marriage and related sexuality issues. I view that as not just important in and of itself, but as a symptom of a much greater disease. And so, while I have concerns for the culture at large, the key to victory is to get the Body of Christ right first. ADF by itself can’t do that, but our ministry partners can play a huge role. One of our great strengths is that we’re Alliance Defending Freedom. So, we can be a part of making sure that the Body of Christ gets it right. Because if we don’t get it right, the rest of the battle is just without hope. If we do get it right … God’s math works really well. One can drive out a thousand; two can drive out ten thousand. If we get our people on the right page, this ministry can and will have a huge, outsized impact.
Visit ADFLegal.org/FJ-CEO to see extended interviews with Michael Farris, and to learn more of his vision for the ongoing work of ADF.
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is
“ADF has always been there for us, and as God has greatly blessed us, our desire is for ADF to be there for others who so desperately need their help as well. We would like to encourage others to include ADF in their legacy plan.” —Tim & Carole S.
Pass on a legacy of freedom. Please contact Lisa Reschetnikow at 844-233-6692 or LegacyGiving@ADFlegal.org to discuss your legacy giving.