As reported in the Associated Baptist Press and the Adventist News Network comes this story about retired Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Denton Lotz being honored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and affiliated religious-liberty organizations for his contributions to furthering global religious freedom. From the ABP article:

[Lotz] received the International Award for Religious Liberty June 18 at a dinner in Washington. The dinner and award are co-sponsored by the Adventists in conjunction with their religious-freedom publication, Liberty magazine, and the International Religious Liberty Association. Lotz is currently president of the association, which was founded by Adventists in 1893 but is non-sectarian and open to all supporters of church-state separation and religious freedom.

Lotz, who was named BWA’s general secretary emeritus upon his retirement in 2007, was awarded for making “religious freedom a major focus of his ministry as church leader and church statesman," according to a BWA press release.

In his response, Lotz said the award was recognition of the role that Baptists have played in the defense of religious liberty since the founding of the Baptist movement 400 years ago, in 1609. Baptists, he said, were often persecuted because of their anti-establishment stance and their defense of the liberty of conscience.

“Baptists were a persecuted group,” he told the roughly 300 guests gathered in the ballroom of the Capital Hilton hotel. “We believe that where religious freedom is denied, all other freedoms are denied.” More...

From the Adventist News Network report:

"We're here tonight as coreligionists of all different traditions because we believe that religious freedom is an inherent right for all humanity," Lotz said. "We believe that where religious freedom is denied, all other freedoms are denied."

Rabbi David Saperstein received the National Award for his work as director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. He also serves on the White House Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

This year's A.T. Jones medal was awarded to Alan J. Reinach, president of the North American Religious Liberty Association--West. The attorney and Seventh-day Adventist minister represents employees who have suffered religious discrimination. More...