Lotz, who was named General Secretary Emeritus upon his retirement from the BWA in 2007, was awarded for making “religious freedom a major focus of his ministry as church leader and church statesman,” at the 7th Annual Religious Liberty Dinner, which was sponsored by Liberty magazine, the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA), and the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

In his response, Lotz, who is president of the IRLA, stated that the award was recognition of the role that Baptists have played in the defense of religious liberty since the founding of the Baptist movement 400 years ago, in 1609. Baptists, he said, were often persecuted because of their anti-establishment stance and their defense of the liberty of conscience. “Baptists were a persecuted group,” he told the roughly 300 guests gathered in the ballroom of the Capital Hilton hotel in Washington. “We believe that where religious freedom is denied, all other freedoms are denied,” he explained.

Said American Baptist General Secretary A. Roy Medley, “The contributions Denton Lotz has made to the preservation of religious freedom are incalculable. Baptists have long been at the forefront of the cause of religious liberty, and Denton has carried on a rich tradition of American Baptists, in particular, who have worked toward these ideals. His leadership and work in this area will pay dividends for years to come.”

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American Baptist Churches is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with 5,500 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.