Brazil, the country with the largest number of Seventh-day Adventists in the world, will gain a chapter of the International Religious Liberty Association, a group dedicated to standing up for freedom of worship. Formation of the chapter follows a religious liberty seminar held recently at Brazil Adventist University (BAU) in Engenheiro Coelho, near Sao Paulo.

“This is very important because Brazil is the number-one country for Adventists, with 1.3 million members there,” said Dr. John Graz, secretary-general of the IRLA. “There are issues involving young people and the Sabbath; it’s very important that we make sure we can get protection for Adventists and others on Sabbath issues.”

IRLA’s Brazilian work, to be headed by BAU professor Reinaldo W. Siqueira, Brazil regional communications director Siloe Almedia and attorney Aldir Guedes Soriano, will concentrate on more than those issues that concern Adventist Christians.

“This is an association for all people who believe in religious freedom,” Graz said. “We believe we can play an important role in Brazil during the next 10 years.”

During the religious liberty seminar at the university, which preceded a communicatons congress there (see ANN, July 29, 2003), Graz oversaw eight seminars on related issues. More than 200 people registered for the conference, with individual meetings averaging between 100 and 150 attendees.

The IRLA was founded in 1893 by Adventist church leaders and has developed into a non-sectarian organization dedicated to safeguarding religious civil rights around the world. There are 67 international chapters and affiliated associations of the IRLA worldwide.