Stories, psalms, parables. Regardless of what one calls them, they all accomplish the same mission of conveying common values that stretch beyond any singular culture or background.
Everyone has a powerful and unique story waiting to be told. Stories came to the forefront during AU’s annual Summit for Religious Freedom because of their power to eclipse boundaries and form real, authentic intersectionality based on the unwavering value of the separation of church and state.
This untapped power of storytelling was central to every speaker who took to the stage. April Ajoy told the sold-out room of how she went from proudly belting “America Say Jesus” on the Jim Bakker Show to speaking out against the weaponization of Christianity. But her journey wasn’t the “Point A to Point B” like so many organizers deploy when speaking to others. It was a journey full of questions. Ajoy lost her father, who should have been healed if they had just prayed hard enough. One brother came out as gay to her, but he wasn’t the abomination her church preached about. Eventually, her story led her to discover who she was and what she stood for.
Alongside the keynote speakers and presenters who compelled the audience through their meticulously crafted speeches, attendees came with their own powerful and unique stories. Some lost everything in natural disasters, misfortune that Christian Nationalists would attribute to their “wicked ways.” Others, some ardent atheists and non-believers, were fortunate to be prosperous, yet never uttered a word of praise to “The Almighty.” All along the spectrum of life’s varied experiences, attendees’ faces lit up at the mere utterance of fighting against Christian Nationalism.
Each and all valuing the freedom that only church-state separation provides, our hundreds of unique stories from a kaleidoscope of backgrounds, religions, cultures and more came together in harmony of purpose. But this beautiful story isn’t over. I hope to hear your story at next year’s SRF, taking place again in Alexandria, Va., on April 25-27, 2026.
Gabriel and his wife, Elizabeth Rutan-Ram, moved to Knoxville, Tenn., after Elizabeth achieved her master’s degree in public health from the University of Georgia. Their goal was the typical “get married, get home, start family,” until they were denied an adoption due to their religion, a breach of constitutional church-state separation. Americans United is representing the Rutan-Rams in ongoing litigation. (This article represents the personal views of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Americans United.)