The International Human Rights Group was founded to protect religious freedom inside and outside the boundaries of the United States. No one is attempting to coordinate the work in both Europe and the United States. It is important that we coordinate this fight because our two continents are so entwined culturally and spiritually. We are called to fill that gap.
We are focused in a number of major areas: the definition of religious organizations, particularly the church, human/sex trafficking, world sports evangelism, and free speech in public areas.
Religious Organizations
We believe that in the coming years it is going to become more difficult, if not impossible, for Christian organizations, even churches, to define themselves and their leadership based on issues such as sexual purity. This means that soon we will have the IRS refusing tax exempt status to churches because of their public stand on issues of sexual and moral purity. We must begin now to prepare churches and other organizations to withstand this pressure.
Sex Trafficking
We believe this is going to be one of the defining issues of our generation. Millions of women and men are trafficked around the world every year. The sole purpose of the business of sex trafficking is to exploit and destroy women and men to MAKE MONEY! We cannot stand by and let this happen.
We are working hard to make sure that the light is exposed into this dark area. We are working on several documentaries that will further expose this area. We are working at every turn to bring sex trafficking and its victims to the public’s attention. We are also using our legal skills to help the women and men who are being exploited and destroyed, as well as the organizations that work to bring these women and men out of the darkness and back into the light. We are prepared to partner with anyone who will partner with us to make sure that every day there is less sex trafficking than the day before—a lofty goal, but we can make a difference.
Sports Evangelism
Most people do not realize that there is a huge mission movement that works with major sporting events around the world. Events like the Summer and Winter Olympic Games and the World Cup Soccer Tournament draw crowds of hundreds of thousands of people. People gathered in one place for the purpose of meeting new people, having rich cultural experiences, and enjoying athletic events. Around these gatherings many families and missionaries give up their free time and money to evangelize. This is a time when people are interested in meeting new folks and exchanging ideas—a perfect time to discuss religion.
The IHRG works with the organizers of these events to make sure their legal questions are answered. We work directly with the organizing committees who put together the sporting events to ensure they understand the rights of the missionaries who are coming to publicly share their faith. We train missionaries and mission leaders on their rights in the public square. Often we attend the event so that we can resolve issues that arise during the emotion of the outreach. In the past we have negotiated with local officials to keep outreach happening, we have worked with police officers on the street to stop evangelists from being arrested or hindered, and we have worked with missionaries to refocus their individual outreach.
World Missions
Finally, we work with missionaries and evangelists who travel around the world, or go out in their own hometown, to share their faith with others. We make sure their rights are not violated and that they are able to complete their outreach. This work has led us to Norway, England, Germany, France, Russia, Greece, South Africa, and beyond.
We are here to help the helpless find justice and to be a voice for the voiceless.
We are the IHRG!