A religious liberty seminar was held at Hamilton Central Baptist Church, New Zealand, in early July, with Adventists and other church and community members coming together to learn about current religious freedom issues.
Australian Christian Lobby managing director Martyn Iles served as keynote speaker for the event, which was organised by Hillcrest International Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Mr Iles discussed some of the religious liberty challenges Christians are facing in Australia, while calling on the “great need” for Christians everywhere to stand up for their faith and to pray.
Hamilton mayor Andrew King was among the attendees who gathered for the Sabbath afternoon meeting.
During the meeting, an offering was collected and, along with a copy of The Great Controversy, presented to Mr Iles at the conclusion of the seminar.
Hillcrest church encountered a number of hurdles in the lead-up to the event—most notable was a last-minute change of venue, with Waikato University informing the church they could not meet in the university’s chapel, where they normally meet on Sabbath, due to a potential security risk.
The Sabbath seminar at Hamilton Central Baptist Church was followed by a second gathering the following day, with Hillcrest elders hosting the meeting at the Waikato University chapel.
