wfn.org | Religious Liberty a "Priority" for Adventists, Christian Leaders Told

["Christian B. Schäffler" <APD_Info_Schweiz@compuserve.com>]

January 2, 2000
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

Religious Liberty a "Priority" for Adventist Church, 
Christian Leaders Told 

Bethlehem, Israel.      The Seventh-day Adventist Church 
remains committed to religious freedom for all people, says 
Dr. John Graz, director of the Church's Religious Liberty and 
Public Affairs department. Graz made his comments in a 
presentation to Christian leaders who met in Israel in early 
December 1999 for a series of informal meetings and to 
celebrate the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus.  Citing 
the recent Adventist-supported International Religious Liberty 
Association meeting in Madrid and the World Conference on 
Religious Freedom held in New Delhi in November 1999, Graz 
told members of the Christian World Communions (CWC) that 
religious liberty is a historic and continuing priority for the 
Adventist Church.  

The gathering of the CWC, an annual meeting of the 
secretaries of world-wide Christian communities, took place in 
Jerusalem and Bethlehem from December 1 to 5, 1999.  Some 
forty Christian leaders attended, including the secretaries of 
the Lutheran World Federation, the Anglican Consultative 
Council, the Baptist World Alliance, and the World Methodist 
Council.

"We chose to have the meeting in Bethlehem at this time to 
proclaim to the world that the Saviour was born here 2000 
years ago," says Dr. Bert B. Beach, director of Inter-Church 
Relations at the Seventh-day Adventist Church World 
Headquarters.  "Everything else took second place to this."  

Beach, who has held the elected position of secretary of the 
CWC for the past 29 years, sees the meetings as a valuable 
way of building bridges of friendship between leaders from 
different Christian organisations.

"These informal gatherings are a forum for the exchange of 
information and the discussion of inter-church issues, as well 
as Christian fellowship among the individuals who attend," 
says Beach.  He notes that although the CWC holds annual 
meetings, it has no permanent staff, no finances and no 
headquarters.   

Representing the Seventh-day Adventist Church World 
Headquarters were Dr Bert B Beach, General Secretary of the 
Christian World Communions, and director of Inter-Church 
Relations, Dr Ralph Thompson, Executive Secretary, and Dr 
John Graz, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL)
director.  Also present as a guest was Pastor Richard Elofer, 
President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Israel. 

During the five days of meetings, the Adventist 
representatives joined with other members of the CWC to 
draw attention to the plight of Christian churches in the Holy 
Land and to press for an easing of restrictions on minority 
religious activity. The CWC meetings included a celebration in
Bethlehem attended by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat 
and the Mayor of Bethlehem. (06/2000)