WFFC Delivers Keynote Address to Caribbean Pastors on the Foundations of Freedom

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago — A Council of Evangelical Churches hosted a landmark gathering of pastors and ministry leaders from across the Caribbean, featuring a powerful keynote address by the Wagner Faith & Freedom Center. The event focused on equipping church leaders with a deeper understanding of the foundations of freedom, grounded in timeless principles of democracy, good governance, and the rule of law.

Drawing from his newly presented work, The Foundations of Freedom: Understanding Democracy, Good Governance, and the Rule of Law, Professor Wagner challenged attendees to reaffirm the moral and constitutional truths essential to the flourishing of just and free societies.

"In a world where political ideas often shift with time,” Wagner said, “it is essential to understand the permanent principles that form the bedrock of a stable, just, and free society."

These principles—democracy, good governance, and the rule of law—are not merely political preferences but enduring truths derived from historical experience, natural law, and Biblical wisdom.” The keynote emphasized the role of moral order in sustaining liberty, and the critical importance of representative governance, transparency, and the protection of individual rights, especially freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

Professor Wagner underscored:

When a society fails to preserve the God-given freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, it risks not only injustice but the very collapse of its civil order. True freedom is preserved only when leaders govern under the rule of law and with reverence for the Creator from whom all rights are derived.

The event provided Caribbean pastors with a framework to understand and teach these foundational principles in their churches and communities, encouraging biblical engagement with matters of governance and justice.

As part of the presentation, Professor Wagner also highlighted lessons from the various Caribbean countries' constitutions, underscoring the common commitment to representative democracy, the separation of powers, and protections for human dignity. Participants were encouraged to consider their role as spiritual leaders in defending and preserving these values for future generations.

Trinidadian Attorney Rebekah Ali-Gouveia facilitated the event, praising the address as a “timely and necessary message for the region,” reaffirming the Church’s commitment to equipping leaders who engage society with wisdom, conviction, and compassion.