About the Wagner Faith & Freedom Center
Our Mission​
Housed on the campus of Spring Arbor University, the Wagner Center serves as the nation’s academic voice for faith and freedom.
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The Wagner Center exists to recover the first principles that sustain a free society. Through scholarship, media, and public engagement, we equip citizens, leaders, and the next generation to think clearly about faith, freedom, constitutional government, and the rule of law. Our Media Group—including Waypoint Journal, Faith & Freedom radio and podcast, and Wagner Center News—provides thoughtful analysis of today’s most important legal, cultural, and international issues through a biblical, constitutional, and natural law worldview.
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Working daily to secure the future for freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, the center equips the next generation with strategies to transform the culture. Contending for the faith, the center strategically works to ensure the next generation may share the Gospel free of persecution. From a local township board to the United States Supreme Court, we speak truth on behalf of the persecuted and most vulnerable. We champion the cause of the defenseless and oppressed, standing for religious freedom in public forums around the globe.
What We Do
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Media & Analysis:
We produce media programs that inform and engage, offering analysis on cultural trends and government actions. -
Events & Education:
We host lectures, conferences, and seminars focused on faith, family, and freedom, equipping key influencers to engage the culture. -
Discipleship & Fellowship:
Our discipleship program combines Biblical teaching, mentoring, and hands-on internship experiences, including advocacy for the persecuted. -
Collaboration:
We build partnerships with academic institutions, scholars, and policy experts from around the world. -
Resource Hub:
We provide a centralized place where individuals and organizations can visit to learn about the Christ-centered perspective on cultural issues.
Our Leadership
WFFC Distinguished Chair
Hon. William Wagner (Ret.)
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​About: William Wagner’s prior public service includes serving as a federal judge in the United States Courts, legal counsel in the U.S. Senate, senior assistant United States attorney in the Department of Justice, and as an American diplomat, and Senior Advisor for Global Criminal Justice at the Department of State. He currently holds the academic rank of Distinguished Professor Emeritus after a teaching career in both secular and religious universities. His writing is published in numerous journals and books.
WFFC Executive Director
Salvatore Biondo
​​​About: Salvatore Biondo is a graduate of Spring Arbor University with a degree in International Business. Prior to this position, he has worked in both legal and political environments, gaining valuable experience on matters of law and legislature.
Distinguished Scholars
Dr. Augusto Zimmermann
​About: Augusto Zimmermann PhD is Foundation Dean and Professor of Law at Alphacrucis University College, Sydney, Australia. He is a former Law Reform Commissioner with the Law Reform Commission of Western Australia, and former Co-chairman of the Academic Council at Sheridan Institute of Higher Education, Perth, Australia. Professor Zimmermann is also a former Associate Dean (Research) and Postgraduate Research Director at Murdoch University’s School of Law (Australia), and former Vice-President of the Australasian Society of Legal Philosophy (ASLP), and Editor-in-Chief of the Western Australian Jurist law journal. A prolific writer and the author of numerous academic books and articles, Professor Zimmermann was awarded the Murdoch University Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research, in 2012. Professor Zimmermann has also been awarded the Order of Merit of Brazilian Thought, by the Brazilian Academy of Philosophy (ABF), and the Order of Merit of the Book (Medal of Honour) by the National Library Foundation (Brazil), for his contributions to the advancement of jurisprudence, literature and philosophy in that country. He has been included in ‘Policy Experts’ – the Heritage Foundation’s directory for locating leading authorities and policy institutes actively involved in public policy issues, both in the U.S. and worldwide.
Dr. Tassos Lycurgo
​​​About: Dr Lycurgo is a public speaker, intellectual, author and online educator with 2M+ followers. Former Full Professor at UFRN (Brazil) with 25+ years in education and research spanning philosophy, theology, and ethics, with a focus on biblical interpretation and Christian apologetics. Former National Director at IPHAN, leading heritage programs and international cooperation (UNESCO/MERCOSUR/CPLP). Founder of Lycurgo Academy and senior pastor of Defesa da Fé. Based in the United States, he advises founders and executives from around the world on leadership, ethics, and organizational culture.