Participants: Lincoln Steed (Host), Melissa Reed
Series Code: LI
Program Code: LI000238A
|
00:22 Welcome to the Liberty Insider.
00:24 This is a program bringing you discussion, 00:26 news, views, information up-to-date 00:30 and relevant analysis on religious liberty events 00:34 in the United States and around the world. 00:36 My name is Lincoln Steed, editor of Liberty Magazine. 00:39 And my guest on this program is Miss Melissa Reid, 00:45 associate editor of Liberty. 00:46 So is a certain correspondence here. Yes. 00:49 We have a common interest in Liberty 00:51 and perhaps that's why we should talk 00:53 about the Liberty Campaign for one of the better term. 00:57 Right. 00:58 We do this every year and what are we doing this year? 01:01 Well, so for those that aren't familiar 01:03 the religious liberty campaign as an annual offering 01:07 with the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America. 01:09 And it is the really the soul funding 01:13 for Liberty Magazine subscriptions 01:15 to both sponsor subscriptions 01:18 and those that are paid 01:20 for by the individual church member. 01:22 And so it's our one opportunity 01:24 a year to come before each local church. 01:28 We certainly help that each local church takes part 01:31 in the campaign and we do everything 01:34 we can to make it easy for them to be involved 01:36 and to promote religious freedom. 01:38 But like I said it's one opportunity a year 01:40 and so it's really important to us. 01:43 So part of my job responsibility 01:45 is putting together promotional material for that campaign. 01:49 We've just finished putting that together at the press right now. 01:53 And it's really exciting story we try to highlight a story. 01:56 Well, the story is the central part 01:58 but we're sending at whole packet of materials 02:01 and we've try to consolidate it into a single package 02:06 that looks like a Liberty Magazine 02:09 But it has in it order forms, it had sermon, posters. 02:12 Yes. Oh, the sermon this year is fantastic. 02:16 I'm gonna talk about that, just briefly 02:17 before we go on to the feature story 02:19 that we're highlighting. 02:21 So, the ministerial director for the North American Division, 02:25 Pastor Ivan Williams wrote, 02:27 composed our sermon for us this year. 02:29 It's very well done. 02:30 Not only we had the written version 02:32 what we make available to individuals these are mailed 02:35 to the religious liberty director at the local church. 02:37 They're also available on our website 02:39 which is libertymagazine.org. 02:42 Also we have the written version of the sermon 02:45 but we also have a video version available. 02:48 So if perhaps your church is one of three churches 02:53 in pastor's district and its religious liberty Sabbath 02:57 and the pastor not there 02:58 to preach the religious liberty sermon 02:59 you can show the video of Pastor Williams 03:02 preaching his religious liberty message. 03:03 Now you're mentioning going to all the churches 03:05 it's might be good opportunity to tell people. 03:07 There is a lot of those churches about 5,000 churches 03:11 that are getting this material. 03:12 Fantastic. 03:13 And we target the Seventh-day Adventist church 03:16 but please viewers if you are of some other denomination 03:20 and you think your church would like to pick up this challenge 03:23 we would be happy to send the material, would we. 03:25 Absolutely yes, contact us. 03:26 So and they certainly 03:28 can contact us at libertymagazine.org. 03:30 Yes. 03:32 So yeah, it's a fun part of my job 03:34 is coming putting together this material. 03:37 I think both you and I enjoy our jobs quite a bit 03:39 we're certainly you know Religious Liberty advocates 03:43 it's not just a paycheck for us 03:47 it's certainly not even near the top of the reasons. 03:49 Not the paychecks, what it should be? 03:52 What certainly not the top of the reasons 03:54 why we do the work we do-- 03:55 I think anybody that considered 03:57 for the financial award would be looking elsewhere. 04:00 Right, so its. 04:01 And its worth remembering Liberty Magazine 04:04 is essentially funded by this money we raise. 04:08 Right. But our salaries don't come out of that. 04:10 Correct, exactly. There from a different pool. 04:12 So all the funds raised will go 04:15 to Liberty Magazine subscriptions. 04:18 I love that aspect of it and it makes it so important. 04:21 And again I mentioned 04:23 I think we've mentioned several times 04:24 on the show one of the things 04:25 that I love about our magazine is our longevity. 04:28 And it's the longevity exists 04:31 because of the other faithful donations 04:33 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church members, 04:35 1906 is when we first republished. 04:37 So we're over a hundred years old 04:40 and yet and is because of the faithful 04:44 giving of the Seventh-day Adventist Church member so-- 04:45 I don't think there is another religious liberty general 04:48 that's got that pedigree both on age, 04:52 longevities as you've pointed out or distribution. 04:55 Absolutely. 04:56 We're sending out it varies a little bit 04:58 but the last several years 05:01 it's been very close to about a 182,000 every issue. 05:04 Oh, praise the Lord. 05:05 And I was surprised I was reading 05:07 I won't say that which magazine 05:08 one of the Newsstand Magazines and I read there. 05:11 Well, I can tell you what it was, it was hoppers 05:14 and they paid subscriptions where in the tens of thousands. 05:17 Oh, wow. 05:19 Now they distribute, you know, 05:21 little bit differently that stood. 05:23 But I do know that they are many, 05:24 many major publications secular ones 05:28 that people see on the Newsstand 05:30 that are less than a hundred thousand. 05:33 Yeah, isn't that interesting? 05:34 And two, three hundred thousand is quite exceptional. 05:37 Yeah, absolutely. 05:39 And the thing is we're only limited 05:41 by the funds that come in, that so you know. 05:43 Sure you know plenty of names. 05:44 There is a plenty of names and explanation of that, 05:48 so our office, our editorial office is put together 05:51 what we call our national priority list. 05:54 Those are names that, you know, sometimes people will sponsor 05:57 subscriptions to specific individuals. 06:00 Like if I am on the city council or identify individuals, 06:04 you know, I want to make sure the John Smith 06:06 and Jane Doe both get magazine subscriptions. 06:09 But sometimes we get money 06:11 and I think it's probably even more frequently money 06:14 that is not for a specific subscription 06:16 is just general donation to the magazine. 06:18 And so that's when we can fund subscriptions 06:21 of this national priority list. 06:24 And our office is dedicated 06:25 to maintaining that list whenever there is 06:28 you know these are politicians, 06:29 federal government employees, federal judges. 06:31 Well, the administrative system is as we speak. 06:34 Yes. Working diligently on that. 06:36 Absolutely, I mean, you know, there is-- 06:37 It's an important list. 06:39 Yeah, it's an important list 06:40 and it's important to keep it accurate in current 06:43 and it can continue to grow or you know 06:47 there're so many individuals that make decisions 06:50 that can affect our religious freedom. 06:52 And so in that way should we be receiving Liberty Magazine. 06:57 So again, you know, we're incredibly 06:59 grateful for longevity of the magazine 07:02 and we hope for, you know, 07:04 that it will really continue as long as it continues 07:07 to service purpose meaning until Christ comes. 07:10 By definition that's we could also say 07:13 until there are no religious liberty issues 07:15 to negative issues to counteract 07:18 but we know that will never be until Christ come. 07:20 It will never be, right. 07:22 It's always been something that has we thoughtful. Yes. 07:24 You know, exhibit day the reformation 07:30 the western world not just the Islamic world 07:32 that we now see stirred with, you know bad, tendencies 07:37 but the western world went through 07:38 a difficult period of 100s of years 07:41 where religious freedom was essentially unknown. 07:43 Right. 07:44 And so we're defending something 07:45 that was hard one and even in our modern era 07:49 it could drift away if we're not careful. 07:51 And don't you feel like and this is one thing 07:53 I love about the magazine is that we typically will do 07:57 or feature articles or series of articles 08:00 on the history of religious freedom 08:02 and how it was well fought and won. 08:04 Because I think a lot of times just like 08:07 we aren't students of the Bible in the way 08:09 that we should be we're not students 08:10 of history in the way that we should be. 08:11 Its right people have forgotten the lot of history. 08:13 Right and so it doesn't have that impact, 08:15 you know, to say that I am protestant 08:17 or that, you know or to talk 08:18 about the reaffirmation unless you, 08:21 you know have really studied and understood 08:24 you know what these individuals 08:25 fought for and sometimes died for. 08:27 You don't really understand 08:29 why it's so important to hold on to that identity now. 08:32 Well, it's always dangerous to write something 08:34 large on the comment of one individual 08:36 but that said Senator Santorum's 08:39 heartfelt comment during the primaries 08:44 in the last presidential election were shocking to me. 08:46 Yes. 08:47 Where he is a dedicated Roman Catholic working 08:49 I'm sure very closely as you can you would expect 08:52 with the Roman Catholic hierarchy. 08:54 He said that in America Protestantism is absent. 08:58 I mean, that's just amazing. 09:00 The Protestantism is not affiliation. Yes. 09:03 Its ongoing description of people 09:05 of valued religious liberty, valued religious purity, 09:09 doctrinal correctness some other. 09:10 Right. Many of them were burned at the stake. 09:14 You know, whole countries were convulsed 09:15 by intolerance as they struggle to-- 09:20 in some cases to fight for their religious liberty. 09:22 And so it just for the someone representing 09:25 the very entity change as it may be. 09:28 That was the antagonist to say 09:30 "oh, its all over they're gone" amazing. 09:32 Yeah, that is incredible. 09:33 And I hope is not quite right 09:34 but he's right to some degree 09:36 or the comment wouldn't be made. 09:38 Right, now I think that's true. 09:40 You know, I want to come back to what was we were talking 09:43 about before about the magazine 09:44 going out to so many people enabled by the donations 09:49 but there's interesting part of this 09:51 and I thought of it many times most of these recipients 09:53 whether they are congressman, senators, 09:55 judges, lawyers they didn't ask for it. 09:58 Right. 09:59 We believe or our sponsors 10:01 believed that they need to have this. 10:02 So they informed and educated. 10:05 But it's amazing to me how few of them 10:07 send letters or notes saying 10:09 "you know saying I didn't ask for this take it of the list." 10:11 Right. 10:12 Very seldom. Right. 10:14 I mean proportionality everyday 10:15 or two we will get a contact 10:18 that which sometimes might be a couple of addresses. 10:20 Because you're dealing with the judges office 10:22 or some administrative office but it's rare. 10:25 And to me that's great indication 10:27 of what the value for what we're sending out. 10:29 Absolutely, absolutely. 10:30 Well not only are individual sponsoring the subscriptions 10:33 they're certainly prayerfully doing that as well. 10:36 And I think they're be doing directed 10:38 you know as to who needs these subscriptions 10:40 and I think you know certainly 10:43 the Holy Spirit is that work as well. 10:44 But it's interesting most of the time 10:47 when we hear from individuals 10:50 we are being told about updated information. 10:53 You know here's the new city's clerks name 10:56 and so you need to change the name of subscription. 10:58 We've heard a couple of times from I believe both times 11:02 that I am recalling from judges 11:05 who are now retiring from the bench. 11:06 Oh, I know. And wanted to receive it at home. 11:09 Can they keep getting it 11:10 and they've appreciated some of these. 11:11 Can they keep getting at home? Yes, yes. 11:13 So certainly you know 11:15 its God is very good and is certainly 11:19 I think blessed this ministry 11:20 and the Holy Spirit is worked 11:24 on the hearts of these individuals 11:26 and Liberty has certainly made an impact in cases 11:30 that have been tried or in fought 11:32 or you know individuals have had religious liberty issues, 11:36 you know, the magazine has made it's mark. 11:38 Absolutely and you reminded me as story 11:41 just heard from the man himself a few weeks ago. 11:47 Seventh-day Adventist at an event 11:48 I went to he told me, he said, 11:50 you know I used to work in a county office. 11:52 He was highly placed local government official 11:55 who would worked for many years prior to that in the CII. 12:00 And he says I was tough-- 12:02 He say you know no nonsense guys 12:05 but this magazine came Liberty Magazine. 12:08 And he said "he read it he said 12:09 I want to find that more about this group 12:11 and he said I became the Seventh-day Adventist 12:13 because of the Liberty Magazine." 12:14 Oh, praise the Lord. 12:15 And you don't often here 12:17 that with any publication even Science of the Times 12:20 which is a clearly design missionary paper. 12:24 Usually there're several factors 12:27 but here this man said "I read it 12:29 and because of that I wanted to become a member." 12:31 Right, well it's interesting 12:33 because, you know, our audience 12:35 that we write for is for the non-Adventist audience. 12:38 But in that way you know 12:39 I think as someone who's been on staffer 12:42 I think a decade now 12:43 and avid reader of the editorials 12:45 which you write each issue. 12:47 Good, I didn't know you were reading. 12:50 We do not hide the fact we're published 12:52 by a Seventh-day Adventist Church. 12:54 You know, we feature 12:56 you know some Adventist authors and some Adventist stories 13:00 and always the editorials are explaining 13:04 why this is so important to us. 13:06 You know why the-- and I really appreciate 13:08 that you know its something 13:09 that we should be proud of our churches 13:11 distinctive history with us. 13:12 Well, we don't need to be worried 13:14 about I mean they are Adventist distinctive included here. 13:19 But separation of church 13:21 and state which is constitutional, 13:23 reiterating the US narrative of why religious liberty 13:27 so important going back to the protestant reaffirmation, 13:30 then talking about enlightenment 13:33 naturalistic arguments for rights of conscience. 13:37 These are far wider than just an Adventist concern 13:40 but they all support our concerns, so that's-- 13:42 Absolutely. 13:43 That's really where I am very confident 13:45 in telling people we're Seventh-day Adventist 13:47 because it's not just an Adventist story 13:49 but it supports the Adventist story. 13:52 Right, right. 13:53 And we have great faith in the legislators 13:56 that when they're reading this regularly 13:59 when an issue comes up they won't just apply 14:02 it to Adventist they will see the bigger picture. 14:03 Absolutely. 14:04 And as they administrator religious liberty 14:06 generally well it will be good 14:08 for an Adventist interaction with government. 14:09 It benefits not only ourselves our church members 14:12 but others in our community, 14:14 you know, who we want to see in heaven as well. 14:17 Absolutely. 14:18 We will back after a short break to continue this discussion 14:21 of getting the word out Religious Liberty Campaigns 14:24 and Promotions to you the viewer 14:26 and the supporter of the Liberty. |
Revised 2014-12-17