Iowa Religious Freedom Day Interfaith Breakfast 2026
Governor Kim Reynolds
Proclamation
"Iowans believe that our liberties are more secure when religious belief is both strong and free, when people of faith can openly participate in public debate and when government respects the Creator on whom all authority depends. To recognize the continuing importance of this first freedom once again, and for my final time as governor, it is now my privilege to read and sign this official proclamation."
Pastor Micah Fries
Keynote Remarks
"The only way to ensure religious freedom for all people is to guarantee it for all people. If you want it for yourself, you have to be insistent that it be applied to all people. ...
"What makes this difficult is that it requires us to defend the rights—sometimes even at our own personal expense—of those with whom we might otherwise disagree. In other words, it requires us to defend those we think are wrong."
"Trust is not built by clever arguments or carefully curated social media posts, but by time that we spend together, by our presence, by consistency, by shared experiences. Only then can we assume the best of each other's arguments rather than the worst."