April 18, 2024 Wissam al-Saliby has been appointed President of the 21Wilberforce Global Freedom Center. Al-Saliby is an internationally recognized expert in international religious freedom and human rights who brings more than fifteen years of experience in advocating for religious freedom at the United Nations, training and capacity building for human rights in the Middle East and around the world, …

April 18, 2024 21Wilberforce partners with a seminary on the Thai-Burma (also known as Myanmar) border that is working to help address a crisis that displaced people fleeing a new military offensive by the Karen National Union. This recent occurrence forced the Myanmar military junta to surrender the strategic border town of Myawaddy last week. They provided the following update …

April 18, 2024 Rev. Hkalam Samson was among 3,300 prisoners released from Myitkyina Prison in a junta amnesty on Wednesday, April 17th. In a cruel turn of events, the former head of the Kachin Baptist Convention and chairman of the Kachin National Consultative Assembly was rearrested just 24 hours later. Military intelligence personnel and men in uniform returned to the …

April 17, 2024 By Paul and Rebecca Mele Gadzama Ten years ago, the terrorist group Boko Haram abducted 276 girls from Chibok Secondary School. Fifty-seven of the girls escaped while they were being ferried into the Sambisa forest. Two of the girls later escaped and were found by a vigilante group before being handed over to the military. Not too …

March 28, 2024 Following a landslide election win by the pro-democracy NLD party on 1 February 2021, the Burmese military seized control of Burma. In Myanmar, what started as civil disobedience quickly became a civil war. The Rohingya and many of Burma’s largely Christian ethnic groups have endured decades of abuse, persecution and ethnic violence. The Biden administration has formally …

March 12, 2024 Eyes were opened to the plight of millions of Christian brothers and sisters across the world during a recent Dallas Baptist University convocation led by 21Wilberforce Founder and President Emeritus Randel Everett. He spoke to over 1000 students and faculty of DBU about the need to stand with the persecuted Church Everett talked about Mariam Ibraheem, a …

February 27, 2024 In a recent article for Christianpost.com titled “Remembering the persecuted during Lent”,  Knox Thames, writes that Lent is a time of reflection about the ultimate sacrifice Christ made on the cross. The piece also encourages us to remember and to pray for modern day martyrs who are hurting for their faith. To support Christians in that effort, …

February 5, 2024 The International Religious Freedom Act, a transformative piece of legislation, was written, debated, re-written and nearly left for dead before Congress voted unanimously for its passage in the fall of 1998. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has published The 25th Anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act: A Retrospective. This publication, co-authored by …

February 5, 2024 “Religious freedom for everyone, everywhere, all the time” was the motto for the fourth annual International Religious Freedom Summit 2024 held January 29-30 in Washington, DC.  This two day event drew religious freedom advocates — faith groups, civil society, and governments — to listen and learn and to build bridges and new alliances to defend those who …

January 21, 2024 21Wilberforce will join with the Chin Association of Maryland (CAM), the U.S. Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, the American Baptist Churches USA, Boat People SOS, International Campaign for the Rohingya, and the Burma Advocacy Group to co-sponsor a Congressional Briefing hosted by Congressman Chris Smith, “Rising Persecution of …

January 21, 2024 Dr. Dawari George leads 21Wilberforce’s Global Freedom Network in Nigeria. Here is his report from the ground on the Christmas Eve killings and other recent attacks in Plateau, Nigeria. As Christians, the world over were rejoicing in the euphoria of ushering in the celebration of the day commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, Christian communities in Bokkos …

December 12, 2023 Ken Camp/Managing Editor     Reprinted from Baptiststandard.com Representatives from multiple human rights and religious liberty organizations joined the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in urging Congress to take action regarding ongoing persecution in Nigeria. Randel Everett Randel Everett, founding president of 21Wilberforce and a former executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and Brent Leatherwood, president …

November 15, 2023 I am an Afghan citizen who served with the international forces. My family and I are among the millions affected by the recent Afghan crisis in general and among those who lost everything, are displaced, and have become refugees. I was raised to believe in an Islamic philosophy of salvation through good deeds. So, I did my …

October 30, 2023 21W Board member, Knox Thames, one of the foremost experts on FoRB and a former USCIRF and U.S. State Department policymaker, inspired and challenged our global Timothy Fellows during their recent monthly virtual meeting. Knox, who is a visiting expert at the US Insitute of Peace and a professor at Pepperdine University, is the author of the …

October 24, 2023 The beautiful Great Hall on the campus of Dallas Baptist University was the setting for 21Wilberforce’s annual Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Award dinner the first week in October. This award embodies the work of former Congressman Frank Wolf who worked tirelessly for decades to promote international religious freedom. After retiring from Congress in 2015, Congressman Wolf …

September 26, 2023 The Global Freedom Network (Africa) held a promotion in early September during the Arise Congress organized by the Nigerian Baptist Convention held at the Baptist International Convention Center. This Congress was a first joint Congress of the Nigerian Baptist Convention Youths, Baptist Student Fellowship, Royal Ambassadors, Lydia Auxilliary, Girls’ Auxilliary, Teenagers and Baptist Corpers’ Fellowship. The meeting …

September 23, 2023 REGISTER HERE  21Wilberforce invites you to attend the 2023 Frank Wolf Award Dinner on Thursday, October 5th in the Great Hall at Dallas Baptist University, Dallas, Texas.  Click on the Register Here button above to purchase individual tickets or a table sponsorship (8 tickets). Pastor Bob Roberts, Jr. will be presented the 2023 Frank Wolf International Religious …

August 28, 2023 By Trent Martin, 21Wilberforce Coordinator for Advocacy & Training 21Wilberforce is partnering with researchers from the University of Stirling to launch a project that is exploring how civil society organizations can effectively advocate for real changes in the religious freedom policies of countries around the world using the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism.   The Universal …

August 28, 2023 The violent attacks against minority groups in Manipur, a state nestled in the northeastern part of India along the Burmese border, continue to unfold.   Early this year, peaceful protests against the removal of protections for the rights of ethnic minorities in the state escalated into a vicious backlash of violence from mobs composed of members of the …

Randel Everett recently announced to the 21Wilberforce staff and Board that he will retire as President of 21Wilberforce at the end of this year. Here are his reflections on stepping away from the organization he and his wife, Sheila, founded nine years ago. Working with 21 Wilberforce in defense of those experiencing religious persecution has been a great honor.  Religious …

August 9, 2023 By Ken Camp/Reprinted with permission from Baptiststandard.com Randel Everett—who recently told the board of 21Wilberforce he plans to retire at the end of the year as the organization’s president—recalled the reaction nine years ago when he stepped down as pastor of First Baptist Church in Midland. The congregation was “pretty shocked” when he resigned as pastor to …

REGISTER HERE  21Wilberforce invites you to attend the 2023 Frank Wolf Award Dinner on Thursday, October 5th in the Great Hall at Dallas Baptist University, Dallas, Texas.  Click on the Register Here button above to purchase individual tickets or a table sponsorship (8 tickets). Pastor Bob Roberts, Jr. will be presented the 2023 Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Award. This …

July 30, 2023 The Religious Freedom Commission of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is chaired by 21Wilberforce Ambassador for Latin America, André Simão. The Commission hosted three meetings during the BWA’s annual gathering held last month in Norway. The first meeting focused on the work for freedom of religion or belief that is being done by Baptists leaders in the …

June 15, 2023 21Wilberforce is pleased to announce that Pastor Bob Roberts, Jr. is the recipient of the 2023 Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Award.  We will honor this renowned bridge builder who has dedicated his life to promoting and advancing religious freedom, peacemaking and civic engagement at a dinner on Thursday, October 5th in the Great Hall at Dallas …

June 15, 2023 Coptic Solidarity hosted its 11th annual conference The Indigenous Copts: Past Denied and Future Unknown in Washington, DC June 15-16. Legislators, academics, advocates and policy experts convened to share their views and recommendations to provide greater protection and equality for the Copts of Egypt. Policy Day, hosted in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, included a panel focused on …

May 18, 2023 Randel Everett, founder and president of 21Wilberforce, shared stories of courage and engagement by people of faith who came together and assisted persecuted communities during two luncheons recently in Waco and Temple, Texas. The Western Church is largely unaware of the plight of our brothers and sisters around the world suffering for their faith. Individuals have been …

April 26, 2023 Associates are an integral part of the 21Wilberforce team. Our internships include assisting with research, writing, advocacy, and programming support. Associates are also likely to attend congressional hearings, think-tank briefings or other events as the eyes and ears of 21Wilberforce. The Winter 2023 Associates, Dim Sian Ngai, Sanjana Sharma and Josh Young, completed their internships the last week …

April 24, 2023 Two years ago, 21Wilberforce entered into a strategic partnership with the Baptist World Alliance and one of the key goals was to develop a mobilization and support program to equip faith communities to engage in protecting religious freedom and defending the persecuted. Central to this program are regional representative 21Wilberforce Ambassadors that work with churches, organizations and individuals to …

April 10, 2023 Ken Camp / Reprinted from Baptiststandard.com The Easter promise of new life holds special meaning for members of a persecuted Chinese church who arrived in Texas on Good Friday, in preparation for resettlement with the help of Tyler-area churches. Members of the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church—nicknamed the “Mayflower Church” for their commitment to seeking religious freedom—arrived Friday …

Ken Camp / Managing Editor April 3, 2023 Reprinted from Baptiststandard.com Authorities in Thailand fined but did not immediately deport members of a persecuted Chinese church, but the Christians continue to be detained three days after their deportation hearing of the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church—nicknamed the “Mayflower Church” for their commitment to religious freedom—were arrested March 30 and faced deportation …

April 2, 2023 The First Global, Muti-faith Study on the State of Women and Freedom of Religion or Belief Women and girls worldwide face compound persecution and discrimination due to their religion or belief.  Yet, until today there has been no global landscape analysis of the state of women and freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). FoRB Women’s Alliance’s Women …

April 2, 2023 Two years ago 21Wilberforce entered into a strategic partnership with the Baptist World Alliance and one of the key goals was to develop a mobilization and support program to equip faith communities to engage in protecting religious freedom and defending the persecuted. Central to this program are regional representative 21Wilberforce Ambassadors that work with churches, organizations and …

March 23, 2023 21Wilberforce is pleased to announce the appointments of  Knox Thames and Curtis L. Brown, Treasurer, to the Board of Directors. With these changes, the 21Wilberforce board will be comprised of  14 Directors. Other Board members include: James Carr, Ross Chandler, J. Nixon Daniel III (Chairman), Darrell Dunton, Simon “Trey” Hendershot III, Amanda Howard (Board Secretary), Suzii Paynter …

March 5, 2023 After the United States military forces left Afghanistan in August 2021, a refugee crisis began as people tried to escape the Taliban. More than 1 million Afghans took refuge in 98 countries, including Brazil. André Simão  21Wilberforce Senior Fellow and Latin America Ambassador, collaborated with film maker, J.R Bonavita, to chronicle the story of over 400 Afghans who …

January 29, 2023 Associates are an integral part of the 21Wilberforce team. Our internships include assisting with research, writing, advocacy, and programming support. Associates are also likely to attend congressional hearings, think-tank briefings or other events as the eyes and ears of this organization. The Winter 2023 Associates for Advocacy, Policy and Capacity Building all share a passion to learn …

January 27, 2023 Nicaragua has been labeled a Country of Particular Concern by the U. S. State Department. From January 4-10, 21Wilberforce’s Executive Director John Gongwer traveled with BWA President Tomas Mackey (Argentina) and BWA General Secretary Elijah Brown to Nicaragua to attend the annual national Baptist Convention—Convención Bautista de Nicaragua (CBN). What follows is Gongwer’s first-hand account of the …

January 27, 2023 Beginning in November 2019, a group over 60 members from Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, called the “Mayflower Church” for their commitment in seeking the freedom, began arriving in the Republic of Korea from China after enduring repeated threats and interrogation from Chinese police. After being denied asylum in South Korea, the group moved to Bangkok, Thailand and …

December 18, 2022 As reported by the US Dept. of State, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, the International Religious Freedom Roundtable and countless non-profits, the news is often bad and discouraging about the discrimination, marginalization and persecution around the world the individuals experience for living out their faith and beliefs. At 21Wilberforce, we continually highlight why we …

On December 14, 2022, 21Wilberforce Director of  Communications, Lou Sabatier, moderated a side event to the 2022 U.S. Africa Leaders’ Summit in Washington, DC. Titled “Women and IRF in Africa: Why Their Concerns are Overlooked”, the panel brought attention to women and international religious freedom in African countries. This event was a collaboration between the International Religious Freedom Roundtable Africa …

December 1, 2022 JOIN 21WILBERFORCE TO URGE YOUR CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS TO ADVOCATE THAT THE MAYFLOWER CHURCH BE WELCOMED TO THE UNITED STATES TO PREVENT THEIR DEPORTATION TO CHINA. TAKE ONE MINUTE TO SIGN THE LETTER BELOW TO SPEAK OUT! What you need to know: Beginning in November 2019, a group over 60 members from Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, nicknamed the …

November 23, 2022 In the 19th century, British Parliamentarian William Wilberforce identified the slave trade as the single greatest violation of human rights. Over several years he led a successful abolition movement through collaborative partnerships, grassroots empowerment, and policy campaigns. 21Wilberforce is employing this powerful model to train and empower others, facilitate results-based solutions, and work with like-minded partners to …

October 31, 2022 IDOP resources are designed to help you effectively pray for the persecuted. Globally, one in seven Christians live in places where they face a high level of persecution for their faith. Godfrey Yogarajah, WEA’s Ambassador for Religious Freedom, recently said, “The IDOP is a time set apart to remember all those who share our faith, but not …

October 28, 2022 21Wilberforce is spearheading a launch called The Global Defenders Network (GDN) in response to the growing need to provide legal representation and defend victims of unjust laws that violate everyone’s basic human right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). GDN is an association of individuals, organizations, and networks that will work collaboratively on individual member and …

October 28, 2022 21Wilberforce is partnering with the University of Stirling on an innovative research project that will equip human rights advocacy groups with insights and proven pathways to successfully advance religious freedom through the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The UN UPR process provides an opportunity for all UN Member States, sometimes in collaboration with human rights groups, …

October 20, 2022 By Ken Camp, Managing Editor Religious persecution in China today is worse than it has been in decades, former Chinese dissident and longtime international human rights advocate Bob Fu told a gathering at Dallas Baptist University. Chinese President Xi Jinping made clear in his Oct. 16 address to the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party what …

July 15, 2022 21Wilberforce has launched a new initiative called “Timothy Fellows” for young Baptist professionals and students around the world. Currently, five of six regions within the Baptist World Alliance are represented and the first ten Fellows hail from the Benin, Brazil (2), Bulgaria, Germany, Ghana, Honduras, Nigeria, United Kingdom and the U.S. 21Wilberforce President Randel Everett and Trent …

September 27, 2022 The fourth annual Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Award celebrates an outstanding leader who is working to advance freedom of religion or belief by standing up to oppression in the pursuit of freedom of religion, belief, or conscience. This award is named for Congressman Frank Wolf, the House’s “Champion of Human Rights” and “Conscience of Congress.” Wolf …

August 15, 2022 21Wilberforce is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. James W. Carr to the organization’s Board of Directors for a three-year term, which began on August 1, 2022. “The mission of 21Wilberforce resonates deeply with me,” Carr said. “They have developed impactful tools and training to equip persecuted groups — the same groups I advocated for as …

July 19, 2022 21Wilberforce staff recently traveled in Northern Thailand with the goal of deepening our partnerships with those working to counteract the renewed violence against religious and ethnic minorities resulting from a military coup in the neighboring country of Burma in early 2021. During the trip, the 21Wilberforce team met with key civil society organizations, ministry partners and Baptist …

July 25, 2022 What a blessed day we had at the 21Wilberforce Speak Freedom Conference held July 9th on the campus of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. We met people from New Zealand, Honduras, the UK, Brazil, Thailand, Nigeria, Belgium, Canada, Germany. The one-day leadership conference preceded the Baptist World Alliance Annual Gathering attended by Baptist leaders around the world. …

July 8, 2022 Approximately nine hundred government officials, advocates, persecuted communities, and emerging leaders recently convened for the IRF Summit 2022 at the Renaissance Hotel in DC. This is the second annual Summit held for civil society to learn, strategize, and network for the cause of religious freedom around the world. Elaine Alam, a Christian from Pakistan and religious freedom …

May 24, 2022 21Wilberforce and the Baptist World Alliance are co-hosting SPEAK FREEDOM, a one-day conference to be held at Samford University on July 9, 2022. Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, The Wall Street Journal ranks Samford 1st …

May 9, 2022 Afghanistan has historically been religiously diverse, however after the Taliban took control of the government in the mid 1990s, most non-muslims left the country. Today, almost the entire population is Muslim (approximately 85% Sunni and 15% Shia). The balance of those living in Afghanistan, under 5%, are Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Baha’is and others. The Taliban took …