Northwest Religious Liberty Association

August 30, 2016

Fast Facts

The Northwest Religious Liberty Association (NRLA) works within legislative, civic, judicial, academic, interfaith, evangelical and corporate arenas on behalf of the church and all people and institutions of faith.

Since 2011, the NRLA has mediated in behalf of 952 individuals in the corporate workplace and other public venues.

The NRLA was founded in 1906 and is the oldest and most respected religious freedom advocacy organization in the Northwest.

Mission

To champion the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom for all people of faith in its government relations and workplace mediation services.

Summary

The North Pacific Union Conference continues to champion the principles of religious liberty in the public arena as a ministry to all people of faith and for its members. The NRLA provides professional legislative advocacy services, as well as legal guidance, mediation, representation and referral services in the workplace, home, schools, prisons and military. It provides noncombatancy letters connected to immigration and naturalization applications.

What's Been Accomplished

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS — Active in State Religious Freedom Restoration Act efforts in Alaska and Montana, both in defeating radical versions and advancing moderate versions, including helping to defeat a couple of related bills in Idaho. Also active in getting legislative sponsorship for a Workplace Religious Freedom Act (WRFA) in Washington state.

PUBLIC CONTACTS — Developed substantial contacts throughout the Northwest with state and federal lawmakers, as well as interfaith leaders, through our team of capitol pastors.

PUBLIC AWARENESS — Participated in civic, academic and interfaith events in the Northwest and Washington, D.C., and especially in Romania, where NRLA influenced senators in that nation’s parliament to discourage a six-day workweek law. That law would have allowed Sunday rest only and the constitutional recognition of the Romanian Orthodox Church as the only state-approved religion.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES — Provided sermons, seminars for churches and public events, including law school lectures, and participated in national symposiums on the subject of international religious freedom policy at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., and the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City.

WORKPLACE MEDIATION — Consulted 167 individuals in 2010 alone.

ONLINE RESOURCES — Check us out at nrla.com and at our Northwest Religious Liberty Association (NRLA) Facebook page.

The Challenges Ahead

STRATEGIC VISION — As religious discrimination for people of faith rises, we will strive to balance the increasing demand with legislative remedies and public awareness efforts.