richard landry is, however, and has been quarter century the president of the ethics and religious liberty committee of the southern baptist convention of the united states. and in that capacity and over those 24 or 25 years, richard has become a fixture of the public discussion of issues concerns religious liberty. even perhaps more general ly discussion about the morally laiden issues. he's become almost an important public resource. and a highly visible and highly influential spokesperson. he's been since 2001 on the united states commission on international religious freedom. and in a way embodied what this conference is around. he's certainly done his share of participating academic con fabs such as this one, but he's also a doer, and was until recently an interim pastor at the red bank church in chattanooga, tennessee. this is a man who's accomplished and a public resource and a pastor, he's also a man who holds a b.a. from princeton and from oxford. my guess is that nobody else besides richard lands holds degrees from princeton and oxford but also as he does a master december gree f