The Baptist General Association of Virginia's religious liberty committee marks its 50th anniversary this year.
The BGAV is the only Baptist state convention with a standing committee focused on religious liberty, according to Fred Anderson, executive director of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society.
This year the committee has targeted a bill in the General Assembly that attempted to amend the state constitution to provide religious expression on public school property, which committee members believed actually endangered religious freedom.
“Many members were contacting state senators and delegates,” said Dorothy Lewis, a committee member from Penhook. “Due to some quick work this measure was defeated.”
The committee plans to visit the Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty and attend its separation of church and state convocation in Washington, D.C., April 13-14.
Special to the Herald