1 year, 3,000 churches, 50 States: ADF is celebrating

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Alliance Defending Freedom is celebrating Pastor Appreciation Month in a unique way with the one-year anniversary of the ADF Church Alliance, a legal membership opportunity that helps churches navigate the religious liberty issues faced by church leaders in today's changing culture.

Churches face uncertainty in the variety of religious liberty challenges they face in local, regional, and national issues ranging from bylaw review to tax and gender issues. As an advocate for religious liberty over the past 25 years, Alliance Defending Freedom launched the Church Alliance in response.

"With more than 3,200 allied attorneys and nine Supreme Court victories in the last seven years, ADF has established itself as the foremost defender of one of this nation's essential freedoms," said ADF President, CEO, and General Counsel Michael Farris. "The ADF Church Alliance is a new extension of Alliance Defending Freedom to specifically help churches protect their legal religious liberty needs, and we're proud of what we've been able to accomplish in such a short period of time."

Since the launch of the Church Alliance one year ago, more than 3,000 churches in all 50 states have responded in recognizing their need for this service in order to protect and defend their ability to live and preach the gospel freely.

As a testament to the needs of the Church, "the response has been overwhelming, and overwhelmingly positive," said ADF Senior Counsel Erik Stanley, director of the ADF Center for Christian Ministries, which oversees the Church Alliance.

By assuming legal burdens that arise from a changing culture, the ADF Church Alliance allows pastors and elders nationwide to focus more time and energy on meeting the needs of their churches. Preaching the Gospel and operating according to the protections guaranteed by the Constitution replaces addressing zoning challenges and making court appearances.

The ADF Church Alliance is open to churches of all sizes and denominations. Church leaders or individuals who are interested in learning more about membership in the alliance or providing financial support should visit www.ADFChurchAlliance.org.

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.

SOURCE ADF Church Alliance