“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” (Matthew 25:23 NIV)
I praise God when I think of you – thank you for your faithful prayers for us and your financial generosity! Please know that your contributions make it possible for our advocates across the globe to stand in the gap on behalf of the voiceless and the persecuted.
Sam Ericsson (AI founder) was fond of relating one of Jesus’ last parables about the man who was going on a journey and called his servants to entrust his wealth to them. Sam reminded us that we have each been entrusted with time, talent, and treasure.?We know that the story goes that the man gave five bags of gold to one of his servants, two to another, and one to the third, each according to his ability.? In their master’s absence, the servant given five bags of gold and the one given two, doubled their master’s wealth entrusted to them. Upon his return, the master praised them, increased their responsibilities, and invited them to come and share in his happiness! The servant given one bag of gold had buried it in the ground and gained nothing in his master’s absence. His master called him a wicked, lazy servant and commanded that he be thrown outside into the darkness!
Over many decades, Latchezar (Latcho) Popov of Bulgaria, Gilberto Ribeiro of Brazil, and Prof Lee Hee Eun from Korea have proven themselves to be such examples of good and faithful servants:
- With Sam Ericsson’s help and encouragement, the Bulgarian Rule of Law Institute (RLI) was established in 1994. The RLI recently celebrated three decades of fighting for biblical justice in Bulgaria with a special forum held in Sofia, which focused on the importance of integrity. The theme was “Integrity as a quality of character, concept, essence and practice.” Ever since its inception,?Latcho has led the RLI with distinction!? In the past thirty years, the RLI has not only focused on fellowship between Christian lawyers, but also on religious freedom, family rights, pro-life, integrity under the rule of law, peacemaking, and justice for the poor, and elevating ethics as an essential quality of character. A special speaker at the forum was Dr Corey Ciocchetti, a business ethics and legal study academic from the University of Denver, Colorado. Other speakers included former US Federal Judge Eric Bruggink, Dr Kostadin Nushev from Sofia University in Bulgaria, and Judge Alberto Boetti from Italy. More than 200 Bulgarian legal experts are affiliated with RLI, which itself is a member of Advocates Europe and the Bulgarian Union of Jurists. Latcho, who also serves as Chairperson of Advocates Europe, has been instrumental in opening other RLI bodies in Northern Macedonia and Ukraine and has mentored many young Christian lawyers in Eastern Europe.
- On June 5, 2024, the Institute of Christian Jurists of Brazil (IJCB) celebrated its 20th anniversary. The IJCB has been marked by an unshakable commitment to justice and law, based on Christian values. Initially called the Institute of Christian Lawyers of Brazil (IACB), it has had a strong presence in the Brazilian legal community. Ever since its inception, Gilberto Ribeiro has been faithful and steadfast in his leadership of the organization. The IJCB holds regular congresses, seminars, and weekly meetings dedicated to encouragement, reflection, and intercessory prayer. One of the IJCB's most important objectives is to promote knowledge and training, which is why it encourages the production and publication of articles, books, courses,? etc. The ICJB currently offers free international seminars presented by professors Darrell Furgason and William Wagner focusing on worldview and law. We will provide further details of these lectures on our social media platforms.
- ?We were thrilled to learn that former Advocates International Board and Global Council member, Prof Lee Hee Eun, was inaugurated as Dean of Handong International Law School (HILS) in Pohang, Korea on June 5, 2024. Dean Lee has taught at HILS since the fall of 2002 and has served in the law school’s administration since 2003. Over the past decades, Advocates International has enjoyed a special relationship with HILS with our former Board Chairman, Lynn R Buzzard, being the founding dean of the law school. In the beginning, the law school did not have any graduates who had taken bar examinations in the United States and of course, no track record of job placements in the legal arena. Today, over 600 HILS graduates have become licensed attorneys, working not only in Korea at law firms, corporations, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and in ministry, but also serving globally, including in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the United States.?I hope to visit HILS in September to explore how Advocates International can collaborate further with this exceptional institution.
On behalf of all in our network, I want to honor Latcho, Gilberto, and Hee Eun for all they have achieved and commend them for their committed service, unyielding faith, and persistence in the face of many challenges. You are an inspiration to all of us and I trust that younger Christian lawyers will aspire to follow your example.
Let us all seek to be good and faithful servants whom the Lord can entrust with greater responsibility.
President and CEO, Advocates International
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Leadership and mission mentor at Operation Mobilization
7 个月Brilliant