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About First Freedoms Project
  First Freedoms Project is a new cooperative effort of Associated Baptist Press, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, Baptists Today news journal and supportive congregations to celebrate and support our founding freedoms with an emphasis on religious liberty and freedom of the press.
 
  The First Amendment — with its guarantee of religious freedom and freedom of the press — is a crowning jewel of American liberty. These “first freedoms” enshrined in the Bill of Rights have long been understood by traditional Christians as crucial to the practice of unfettered faith. Baptists can claim an important role in preserving and advancing these historic traditions. Yet today these freedoms are under threat — even in America, even among some Baptists. These twin foundation stones for the practice of authentic faith have been reinterpreted or misapplied by some, ignored or taken for granted by others. As a result, true religious liberty is often
overwhelmed by a wave of civil religion or misdirected patriotism. Meanwhile,
CONTACTS
  
Greg Warner
Executive Editor
Associated Baptist Press
1-800-340-6626 greg@abpnews.com
   
J. Brent Walker
Executive Director
Baptist Joint Committee
for Religious Liberty
(202) 544-4226 bwalker@bjconline.org
  
John Pierce
Executive Editor
Baptists Today
1-877-752-5658 jpierce@baptiststoday.org  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   many churches and Christian leaders have fallen silent on the historic Christian freedoms and genuine patriotism.

The First Freedoms Project is created to help Christians and churches celebrate American freedoms and recognize national holidays, while respecting historic Baptist commitments to religious liberty.

      OBJECTIVES

  • To celebrate the important values of a free press and religious liberty.
  • To encourage support for the three national ministries committed to these essential American freedoms.  The First Freedoms Project is a partnership between congregations and three Baptist organizations founded on the First Amendment principles and dedicated solely to advancing religious liberty and priesthood of believers:  Associated Baptist Press, the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, Baptists Today

      The Organizations will:

  • Provide church leaders with positive ways to celebrate First Amendment freedoms and national holidays, without the trappings of civil religion.
  • Develop high-quality resource materials for education and worship around the themes of religious liberty and freedom of the press.
  • Recognize congregations that celebrate and support First Amendment freedoms as “First Freedoms Partner” churches.

      Participating Congregations will:

  • Conduct an annual church-wide celebration of American freedoms, particularly the First Amendment, possibly on a Sunday near July 4. Although materials are provided, churches are encouraged to customize their celebration to their congregations’ needs.
  • Provide annual, unified funding for the three First Freedoms ministries. The gifts can come from a special offering or budgeted funding. Gifts to the First Freedoms Project are divided equally among the three organizations.

      Benefits of the First Freedoms Project:

  • Demonstrates a constructive partnership between three Baptist agencies.
  • Unites congregations in an annual celebration of freedoms.
  • Meets a clear need among traditional Baptist congregations.
  • Encourages churches to match their financial commitments with their values.
   
Charitable gifts to the First Freedoms Project directly benefit these three national ministries carrying out daily commitments to religious liberty and freedom of the press:

Associated Baptist Press is a leading source of news and information about Baptist missions and ministries around the world. ABP is the first and only independent news service created by and for Baptists.

ABP is a not-for-profit charity supported by Baptist churches, individuals, organizations and subscribers. With a mission “to serve Christ by providing credible and compelling information about matters of faith,” ABP publishes approximately 600 news and feature articles each year. More than 30 Baptist newspapers, and more than 100 secular media outlets, use ABP as a trusted source of news. Additionally, ABP news is delivered directly to readers via email and the web site, www.ABPNews.com. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., ABP has regional offices in Washington, D.C., and Dallas, Texas. Greg Warner is executive editor for Associated Baptist Press.

Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty is an education and advocacy organization that promotes the historic Baptist commitment to religious liberty from its offices on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

The mission of the Baptist Joint Committee is to defend and extend God-given religious liberty for all and to bring a uniquely Baptist witness to the principle that religion must be freely exercised, neither advanced nor inhibited by government. The Baptist Joint Committee serves 14 Baptist bodies and receives financial gifts from supportive individuals, churches and other organizations. J. Brent Walker, an attorney and Baptist minister, is executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee. Additional information is available from the web site, www.bjcpa.org and the newsletter, “Report from the Capital.”

Baptists Today is an autonomous, national news journal that serves churches by providing a reliable source of unrestricted news coverage, thoughtful analysis and inspiring features focusing on issues of importance to Baptist Christians. Baptists Today is published by an independent board of directors committed to freedom of the press.

Veteran editor Walker Knight founded the publication in 1983. As a not-for-profit organization, Baptists Today relies on gifts from individuals and organizations that value editorial freedom to bridge the gap between subscription and advertising revenue and production and operating costs. The monthly print edition is supplemented by a web site, www.baptiststoday.org, that is updated daily with timely news from around the world. John D. Pierce is executive editor, with offices in Macon, Ga.