Ambassadors for Christ

A Baptist minister named John Leland, known for his unwavering defense of liberty of conscience, traveled to meet President Thomas Jefferson. He brought with him a symbol of goodwill (though we might disagree today) from his congregation in the form of a mammoth 1,235-pound wheel of cheese.

Later that same day, after meeting with Leeland, Jefferson issued what would become one of the most famous statements on religious freedom in American history in his “Response to the Danbury Baptist Association.”

In that document, Jefferson articulated a principle that echoes to our day. He wrote, “…religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God.” Then he concluded that the First Amendment builds “a wall of separation between Church and State.” While that phrase has been debated in modern times, its original context makes it clear that government must not coerce in matters of conscience.[i] Though the phrase does not appear in the Constitution, the Establishment Clause effectively creates this separation.

Jefferson did not develop his thinking in isolation. He was influenced by relationships, and among them, his friendship with Leland. Leland also maintained a close relationship with James Madison, whose leadership was instrumental in securing the adoption of the Bill of Rights. Leeland’s ongoing dialogue with Madison helped shape his commitment to securing explicit protections for religious liberty in the First Amendment.[ii] These were not distant influences or faraway voices; they were the result of trusted relationships that gave Leland a voice in conversations that would shape a nation.

Leland was a pastor. Yet through those relationships he advocated for a principle deeply rooted in Scripture that faith must be free. America has been shaped, in part, by the influence of a pastor whose greatest tool was not position, but relationship. In this way, religious liberty moved from conviction to constitutional protection.

A Biblical Precedent

Leland’s life demonstrates the truth that friendship creates opportunities for influence that force or legislation never can. Through friendship, he sought the creation of laws that would allow all to be free to serve God as their conscience allowed. Relationships were the source of his influence.

What Leland practiced relationally, Scripture establishes theologically. Paul shares, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20).

Paul informs believers that they are ambassadors for God. Ambassadors do not coerce or force heaven’s ways on everyone else. Ambassadors simply represent. They share. They build bridges. They reach out to build common understanding and mutual trust. Their job is to communicate faithfully within the context of relationships. They are the ultimate relationship builders of the world. That is what God is calling His people to be.

Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL), rightly understood, is not about wielding power for ourselves or enforcing our beliefs on others, it is about representing Christ to the public in a way that preserves and advocates heaven’s ideal of freedom of conscience for all.

Religious liberty is not merely a political principle developed in the 1700s, it is a theological principle found throughout the Bible. From the beginning, Scripture reveals a God who invites rather than compels.

The words of God through Moses, “Choose life. . .” (Deut. 30:19) and famously to Joshua,  “. . .Choose this day whom you will serve. . .” (Joshua 24:15), remind us that choice is central to God’s ways.

God does not compel anyone to worship Him. Even the book of Job shows that God did not force Satan into submission with heaven’s laws but allowed him to turn away. Even after Satan’s rebellion, God still allowed him access to the heavenly council (Job 1:6).

God grants each person the freedom to worship, or not, according to conscience. We can borrow the phrase from Paul, “. . .Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Rom. 14:5).

Christ’s non-coercive method establishes the foundation for religious liberty. If God Himself does not coerce conscience, neither should human governments nor religious institutions.

For those engaged in PARL today, the implication is clear. We advocate for space where individuals can seek God freely. Space where faith can be expressed without fear and lived without coercion.

This was at the heart of the concerns expressed by the Danbury Baptists in the 1800s. They feared government intrusion into matters of faith. Jefferson’s response, shaped in part by voices like Leland, affirmed that government should not establish religion nor interfere with its free exercise.

One of the greatest temptations in engaging society today is to forget how central choice is to God. It’s easy for us to resort to pressure and attempt to achieve outcomes through force. But Peter reminds us, “. . . in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience. . .” (I Pet. 3:15-16).

Let those words sink in. God’s people must stand ready to give a response for their faith and belief practices when people ask. People ask because they have observed something compelling and different about the way we act. When we respond, Peter says the response is given with gentleness and respect, not superiority or even compulsion.

A Missional Perspective

PARL’s aim is not to pressure individuals into agreement but to cultivate relationships where honest dialogue can occur, where we can share who we are, what we believe, why it matters, and where trust can be established with people outside our church. We do not seek to control conscience, we protect it.

This is exactly what Leland modeled. His friendship with Madison and Jefferson created space for conversation. His credibility opened doors that argument alone could not.

Friendship is important, but too often it is viewed as incidental to mission. Cultivating relationships as ambassadors for Christ is central to our mission and it reflects the way Jesus Himself ministered.

The relationships Christ built were not transactional, they were genuine. And through those relationships, He was positioned to advocate for the most important freedom in human history—freedom from sin. A relationship with Christ is life changing. As his ambassadors, we model our relationships after the pattern of His life.

In a polarized world, friendship may seem too simple a strategy. Yet it remains one of the most powerful ways of opening doors that would otherwise remain closed.

On that January day in 1802, a pastor arrived with a gift of cheese and a friendship that had already borne fruit. A president responded with words that would shape a nation’s understanding of religious freedom. That moment in history was made possible through friendship.

The method has not changed. As ambassadors for Christ, we are called to engage the world not with coercion, but with conviction expressed through love. In doing so, we follow both the example of Scripture and the legacy of those like John Leland who understood that friendship, guided by principle, can still change the course of history.

[i] Retrieved from (https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-36-02-01520006#:~:text=Jan.,1802.&text=The%20affectionate%20sentiments%20of%20esteem,give%20me%20the%20highest%20satisfaction).

[ii] Retrieved from (https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/john-leland/#:~:text=Leland%20advocated%20for%20religious%20liberty,reintroduced%20it%20some%20years%20later).

Daniel McGrath is the director of the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department of the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.