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Ambassador Robert A. Seiple to Assume Post on March 1
RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The nations first-ever U.S.
Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom and founder of the
Institute for Global Engagement has been named the new president for the
Council for Americas First Freedom.
Ambassador Robert A. Seiple, who for more than three decades has helped
champion humanitarian solutions to religious conflict around the world, was
selected by the Councils search committee following an extensive, seven-month
national search. He will assume his new post on March 1.
"Bob Seiples career is living testimony to his commitment to the
principle of religious liberty," said Tommy P. Baer, chairman of the board of
the Council. "His wisdom, experience and passion will enhance his leadership
of the Council and serve to engage a broader public in the issues surrounding
religious freedom. He has impeccable credentials, and we are pleased and
proud that he has agreed to accept this important post."
The Council for Americas First Freedom is a non-profit organization
dedicated to raising understanding about the history and contemporary
struggles on the broad range of issues related to religious liberty. The
Council is currently developing the First Freedom Center, a state-of-the-art
national education facility on the site in Richmond, Va., where Thomas
Jeffersons Statute for Religious Freedom became law in 1786.
"For faith to be authentic, it must be freely embraced," said Seiple.
"Thomas Jefferson understood this, and his first freedom statute anchors our
Constitutions bill of rights now more than ever. In a post-9/11 world where
individuals die for their faith while others kill in the name of their
religion, Americas founding principle of religious liberty takes on even
greater prominence. For this, our most fundamental human right, the Council
for Americas First Freedom provides a face at home and voice abroad,
extending legitimate hope for all those who suffer for their beliefs."
Seiple most recently served as chairman of the board of the Institute for
Global Engagement, the Washington, D.C.-based "think tank with legs" that he
founded in 2000. The Institute seeks to develop sustainable environments for
religious freedom worldwide, combining strategic analysis with innovative
strategies that strike at the heart of religious intolerance, particularly in
emerging nations.
Appointed in 1998 as the first U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International
Religious Freedom, Seiple was charged with promoting religious freedom
worldwide, advancing reconciliation in areas where conflict was spurred by
religious differences and ensuring that the tenet of religious freedom was a
consistent part of American foreign policy.
Seiple spent the prior 11 years as president of World Vision, Inc., the
largest privately funded relief and development agency in the world. He
previously held a number of administrative positions at his alma mater, Brown
University, where he served as director of athletics and vice president for
development. He also served as president of Eastern College and Eastern
Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Penn.
Born in the rural community of Harmony, N.J., Seiple received an A.B.
degree in American History from Brown in 1965. He later served in the U.S.
Marine Corps, attaining the rank of Captain. He flew 300 combat missions in
Vietnam and received numerous decorations, including five Battle Stars, the
Navy Commendation Award with Combat V, 28 Air Medals and the Distinguished
Flying Cross.
Seiple is no stranger to the Council. Among the many honors he has
received is the 2005 National First Freedom Award, presented annually to
distinguished individuals who have made profound contributions to advancing
religious liberty around the world, across the United States and within
Virginia.
"Ambassador Seiple is the right man for the right job at the right time,
and we look forward to working shoulder to shoulder with him on issues that
grow in significance every day," said Robert M. ONeil, the director of the
Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Speech, and chair of the
Councils search committee. "The struggle for religious liberty requires
energy and understanding, and so does the Councils own mission. I am
confident that Bob Seiple will provide the leadership and vision necessary to
make a lasting and meaningful difference."
About the Council for Americas First Freedom
The Council for Americas First Freedom (Council) is a 501 (c)(3)
organization based in Richmond, Virginia that provides educational programs,
materials and information about religious freedom as an American historical
development, as a contemporary controversy, and as an international human
right. Currently, the Council is developing the First Freedom Center, a world-
class facility that will offer a dynamic visitor experience with state-of-the-
art, interactive exhibits exploring the development of religious freedom in
America, and todays related national and international issues. The Center
will be the first of its kind anywhere in the world. In addition, the Council
sponsors the following annual initiatives: Presidential Proclamation of
National Religious Freedom Day (January); First Freedom Awards; and the First
Freedom Student Competition. For more information, please visit
http://www.firstfreedom.org.
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