During its 2025 meeting in Washington, D.C., the BJC Board of Directors elected the Rev. Dr. Philip Thompson to serve as chair, the Rev. Dr. Christopher The to serve as vice chair, the Rev. Dr. Elijah Zehyoue to serve as secretary, and Sofi Hersher Andorsky to serve as treasurer.
“President Trump’s speech was not about religious liberty; it was about perpetuating Christian nationalism,” said BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler. “When political leaders suggest that religion is the government’s to promote, they threaten the very freedom they claim to defend.”
“This is a heartbreaking reminder that our sacred spaces must be safe spaces.”
A dynamic group of young professionals are preparing themselves for a lifetime of advocacy at the BJC Fellows Seminar. BJC (Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty) is proud to announce the 2025 class of BJC Fellows — 14 emerging community leaders committed to protecting faith freedom for all and challenging harmful myths about religious freedom in their own communities.
“The law has never prevented clergy from speaking out on moral issues or engaging their congregations in civic life,” said Amanda Tyler. “But green-lighting tax-exempt churches to endorse candidates from the pulpit creates new pressure on religious leaders to align with partisan candidates and risk division within congregations and entanglement with campaign agendas.”
“By creating a national school voucher scheme, Congress has opened the door for taxpayer dollars to fund private religious education—undermining both public schools and religious freedom,” said BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler. “On a day meant to celebrate liberty, this legislation erodes it.”