wfn.org | St. Lucia Events Focus on Religious Freedom

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

January 20, 2002
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland

St. Lucia Events Focus on Religious Freedom

Castries, St. Lucia.     Top-level government meetings
and a large "Festival of Religious Liberty" focused
attention on issues of religious liberty for the
Caribbean, reports Dr. John Graz, director of public
affairs and religious liberty for Seventh-day Adventist
Church.

Graz met with Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony and
Menissa Rambally, minister of social transformation,
local government, culture and ecclesiastical affairs,
who is also a member of the Adventist church. Graz
commended the prime minister for the excellent
record of St. Lucia in regards to religious freedom.
Anthony expressed great interest in working to promote
religious liberty. He also shared concerns about
religious extremism and the necessity of churches
working in harmony with each other for the good of the
country. Graz was accompanied on the visit to St. Lucia
by Clive Dottin, public affairs and religious liberty
director for the church's Caribbean Union, and
Pastor Johnson Frederick, Dottin's counterpart in
St. Lucia.

The January 12 Festival of Religious Freedom brought
together more than 1,000 Adventists in the Central
Church in Castries. The program included lectures on
historical, legal, and spiritual aspects of religious
freedom, and much information was given about
persecution occurring around the world. Several musicians
and singers participated in this festival. "It was
impressive to see the enthusiasm and the interest for
religious freedom issues of the thousand people who
spent all day at this festival," said Graz.