The ERLC joined a coalition letter to President Trump advocating for international religious freedom and opposing religious persecution. This letter, led by the Heritage Foundation, asks President Trump to prioritize international religious freedom by formally recognizing and incorporating the Religion 20 Summit (R20) as part of the U.S.’s leadership of the “Group of 20″ Summit, or “G20” in 2026.
What is the Religion 20 Summit (R20)?
The R20 leverages the “Group of 20” Summit, which is an annual gathering of the world’s most economically powerful nations, to ensure that religion in the 21st century functions as a genuine and dynamic source of solutions, rather than problems. The R20 was founded at the 2022 G20 meeting when hosted in Indonesia, but the R20 has not been part of the G20 since that country passed the gavel.
This letter appeals directly to President Trump, noting his past leadership on international religious freedom and urging him to build on that legacy by backing the R20. It outlines the benefits of R20 recognition: strengthening partnerships with global religious leaders, providing a platform to address religious persecution, and empowering peaceful religious voices to counter extremism.
“Our support for the R20 Summit transcends denominational and ideological boundaries, uniting Americans of faith around our shared commitment to the fundamental right to religious freedom. The undersigned offer our support and cooperation in making the R20 Summit a success and our communities stand ready to participate actively in summit proceedings and preparations, mobilize our networks to ensure robust participation, provide expertise and resources to address the summit’s key themes, and to spread the news to our constituencies and general audiences.”
What do Southern Baptists believe about international religious freedom?
Southern Baptists have long recognized the importance of religious freedom for all people. Stretching back generations, Southern Baptists have a rich heritage of affirming the importance of and fighting to maintain protections for religious liberty for people of all faiths. The Baptist Faith & Message states “a free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.”
Southern Baptists spoke to international religious freedom at the 2024 Annual Meeting through the resolution “On Defending Religious Liberty” and at the 1997 annual meeting through the resolution “On Religious Persecution.“
