Today, the Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) held its final hearing to discuss the past, present, and future of religious liberty in America.
“Today’s capstone hearing of President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission contained more powerful testimony and discussion about how people of religion are under assault by the secular left,” said Chairman Dan Patrick. “It is time to set the record straight: there is no such thing as ‘separation of church and state’ in the Constitution. For too long, the anti-God left has used this phrase to suppress people of religion in our country. During all 7 Commission hearings, witness after witness testified that the so-called ‘separation of church and state’ was used to take their God-given religious liberty rights away. Next month, the Commission will deliver our recommendations to President Trump to ensure that Americans’ religious liberty is safeguarded against evil forces seeking to suppress them in our country.”
The witnesses included:
- Clarence Henderson – Clarence Henderson is a community activist with deep roots in the nation’s civil rights affairs. He was a participant in the 1960 Woolworth Lunch Counter Sit-in Movement and now is an outspoken advocate for Pro-Life and Pro-family causes in the black community. A former chairmen of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission of North Carolina; a former fundraising chairman of the Gate City Alumni Chapter for North Carolina A&T State University and former secretary of Dudley High School Hall of Fame, Hall of Distinction for historic James B. Dudley High School in Greensboro, NC, Henderson is a passionate bridge builder who has a history of bringing people together across cultural and political divides. His energetic involvement in his church as Head Elder, New Members Coordinator, Sunday school teacher, and Finance committee member; and his life’s journey as a teacher, college administrator, entrepreneur and motivational speaker has given him a unique perspective on what confronts society today.
- Paul Brintley – Dr. Brintley is the Senior Pastor and founder of Fellowship Church in Dallas, North Carolina. He is the son of the late Bishop L.C. Brintley. He was ordained into the ministry in September 1994 by his father in the Lord, Reverend William N. Podaras. During his mentorship with William Podaras, he attended Duke University School of Divinity where he furthered his studies in the gospel. He also has a Paralegal Degree from Kings College. And a Bachelors of Theology from Agape College. His travels have included South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Canada, Haiti, Israel, Germany, India, London, Zimbabwe, and 30 states in the USA. Through his travels and work in the mission field, He has established a number of churches in India and Africa and provides 100’s of DVD’s and printed materials to strengthen and support those churches. Dr. Brintley has authored a book entitled “Loyalty to the Man of God”. He is married to Celeste Crocker and they have one son, Paul Brintley II.
- Helen Aguirre Ferre – Helen Aguirre Ferré of Miami Shores is an award-winning bilingual journalist and communications consultant. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Barry University and an M.A. in Inter-American Studies from the University of Miami. For more than twelve years, Helen has been the face of public affairs programming at WPBT2 (PBS affiliate), hosting the weekly series ISSUES and launching ISSUES REPORTS, an investigative arm of journalism reaching audiences from Florida’s Treasure Coast to the Florida Keys. Additionally, Helen worked as a national host for Univision America Radio which aired in the ten major U.S. Hispanic media markets, and worked as a political analyst for Univision during numerous national conventions and Helen is the co-founder of Operation Saving Lives, a humanitarian task force assisting the victims of Hurricane Mitch in Latin America, which supplies medicine, food, and water to the area. She is also the first woman to chair the Board of Trustees of Miami Dade College, the largest institution of higher education in the nation, which graduates the most Hispanics and African Americans. Helen has served on the Board since 1999, working diligently to maintain high academic standards and making college affordability a top priority. Helen received the American Red Cross Spectrum Award in 2013. She has been recognized by the Cuban Women’s Club, the American Nicaraguan Foundation, and the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of the United States, amongst others, for her success.
- Erika Bachiochi – Erika Bachiochi is a legal scholar who works at the intersection of constitutional law, political theory, women’s history, and Catholic social teaching. She is a Professor of Practice at the School for Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University, where she teaches courses in the history of political thought, directs the Mercy Otis Warren Initiative for Women in Civic Life and Thought, and serves as editor-in-chief of its online journal, Fairer Disputations.
- Akshar Patel – Dr. Akshar Patel is an active volunteer with BAPS, a Hindu organization, where he dedicates his time to community service, spiritual development, and humanitarian initiatives. Through his involvement, he practices the values of selfless service, compassion, and integrity, contributing to programs that support individuals and strengthen communities. Furthermore, he helps to ensure that the voices of Hindu Americans are heard and recognized by our civic leaders. Professionally, Dr. Patel is an oncologist devoted to providing thoughtful, patient-centered cancer care based in Maryland. He specializes in delivering advanced, precise treatments while guiding patients and their families during one of the most challenging periods in their lives. By combining clinical expertise with a compassionate approach, he strives to improve outcomes and support patients through every step of their journey.
- Heather Rice-Minus – Heather Rice-Minus first joined Prison Fellowship in 2013. In her role, she leads teams that build partnerships with churches, help strengthen relationships between incarcerated parents and their children, foster partnerships with donors at every level, and advocate for restorative criminal justice reform. Previously, as the head of Prison Fellowship’s advocacy team, she was a leading voice behind the passage of the FIRST STEP Act. A sought-after public speaker on the intersection of faith, justice, and incarceration, Rice-Minus has addressed audiences at national conferences and events including Wilberforce Weekend, Q Ideas Conference, and more. She has also contributed to Christianity Today, Slate, CBN News, The Marshall Project, PBS’ Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, and many other media outlets. Previously, Rice-Minus managed prison reform advocacy efforts at the National Religious Campaign Against Torture and taught English in East Africa. She graduated cum laude from Colorado State University with a degree in liberal arts and social work. After earning her J.D. from George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, she became a member of the Virginia State Bar, a member of the American Enterprise Institute’s Leadership Network and Faith & Public Life Ideas Council, and a Colson Fellow.
- Sister Mary Elizabeth, S.V. – Sr. Mary Elizabeth joined the Sisters of Life in 1993 after graduating from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, having heard the cardinal talk on campus during her junior year.
- Rabbi Aaron Lipskar – Rabbi Sholom Dovber Lipskar was a revered spiritual leader and community builder whose life’s work created a profound and enduring impact on Jewish life in Florida and beyond. His life was marked by a deep commitment to education, humanitarian work, and spiritual guidance. Rabbi Lipskar was ordained at the Central Lubavitch Yeshiva in Brooklyn in 1968. He pursued advanced studies at the Chabad Lubavitch Graduate School of Theology and Applied Rabbinics and at the Kollel Avreichim – Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Graduate School. In 1969, he was appointed a Shliach (Emissary) by the world leader of Chabad Lubavitch, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. His assignment led him to the Landow Yeshiva Center in Miami Beach, where he founded the Yeshiva Gedolah Rabbinical College and served as Principal and Dean of elementary, secondary, and high school studies. A pivotal moment in his career came in 1981 when he founded The Shul in Bal Harbour, where he served as Head Rabbi for decades. In the same year, he established the Aleph Institute, a national Jewish educational and humanitarian organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for incarcerated individuals and members of the military and their families.Rabbi Lipskar also served as the official endorser of chaplains for the Department of Defense and the Educational Academy for the Elderly. In this capacity, he was responsible for the development of pilot programs that restructured the educational priorities of elderly citizens. His dedication to education extended to academia, where he was an Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies at Florida International University. In 2004, his vision for higher Jewish education materialized with the founding of the Chaim Yakov Shlomo College of Jewish Studies. The college offered Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Hebrew Letters and Rabbinical Ordination, attracting students from across the globe.
- Helen Alvare – Helen Alvaré is a Professor of Law at Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University, where she teaches Family Law, Law and Religion, and Property Law. She publishes on matters concerning marriage, parenting, non-marital households, and the First Amendment religion clauses. She is faculty advisor to the law school’s Civil Rights Law Journal, and the Latino/a Law Student Association, a Member of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life (Vatican City), a board member of Catholic Relief Services, a member of the Executive Committee of the AALS’ Section on Law and Religion, and an ABC news consultant. She cooperates with the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations as a speaker and a delegate to various United Nations conferences concerning women and the family. In addition to her books, and her publications in law reviews and other academic journals, Professor Alvaré publishes regularly in news outlets including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Huffington Post, and CNN.com. She also speaks at academic and professional conferences in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Australia. Prior to joining the faculty of Scalia Law, Professor Alvaré taught at the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America; represented the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops before legislative bodies, academic audiences and the media; and was a litigation attorney for the Philadelphia law firm of Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young.
- Oriel Ekşi – Oriel Ekşi is a strategic consultant and government relations specialist with The Woolf Group, specializing in legislative strategy, coalition building, and non-profit development. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Justice Administration from the University of Louisville and brings extensive experience in operations management, grant development, and public speaking. Oriel works with organizations across the country to advance policy initiatives, strengthen programs, and drive sustainable growth.
