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Kirsten Gillson

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF TRAINING PROGRAMS

Kirsten Gillson serves as Deputy Director of Training Programmes for ADF International and is based in Washington, DC. 

Kirsten Gillson serves as Deputy Director of Training Programmes for ADF International and is based in Washington, DC. She oversees the facilitation of Areté Academy and the continued engagement and development of Areté alumni.

Before joining ADF International, Kirsten served in various leadership roles in international child and young adult evangelization and discipleship programmes, and with a US-based non-profit specializing in leadership and Christian worldview training programmes.

Kirsten joined Alliance Defending Freedom in 2011 as part of the Blackstone Legal Fellowship team. She helped facilitate the international relationships and operations of that programme and was an integral part of the launch of Areté Academy as a leadership training programme outside the US. She moved to ADF International in 2017.

Statement of Faith

Based on our adherence to the inspired, infallible, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God in Scripture, we profess with the Christian Church throughout time and around the world the faith expressed in the Apostles’ Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Päivi Räsänen

Päivi Räsänen, a member of parliament and devoted grandmother from Finland, charged with 'hate speech' for voicing her deeply held beliefs on the Christian view of marriage and sexuality.

Stand with Päivi

Isabel Vaughan-Spruce

Die engagierte Lebensschützerin aus Großbritannien, die festgenommen wurde, als sie still in der Nähe einer Abtreibungsklinik auf einer öffentlichen Straße betete.

Rodrigo Iván Cortés

Ein ehemaliger Kongressabgeordnete aus Mexiko, der bestraft wurde, nachdem er die biologische Wahrheit der zwei Geschlechter verteidigt hatte.

Nada und Hamouda

Aus dem Sudan, deren Ehe von einem Scharia-Gericht aufgelöst wurde und die mit 100 Peitschenhieben und Lebensgefahr bedroht wurden, nur weil sie zum Christentum konvertierten.

Shagufta und Shafqat

Ein christliches Paar aus Pakistan, das 7 Jahre lang in der Todeszelle saß, weil sie angeblich eine blasphemische Textnachricht versendet hatten - obwohl beide weder lesen noch schreiben können.

Adah

Adah had to flee her home after being threatened by her family for her conversion and obtained a protective order in another state.

Pastor Ezekiel

Pastor Ezekiel was captured and tortured by unidentified men for two weeks in February 2024, and then handed over to the police, who released him.

David

David was captured and tortured by unidentified men for two weeks in February 2024, and then handed over to the police, who charged him with kidnapping and obtained a conviction without a lawyer in 3 days. In July, the High Court in Northern Nigeria overturned his wrongful conviction. He is now free.

Naomi

Naomi had to flee her home after being threatened by her family for her conversion, and obtained a protective order in another state.

Rhoda Jatau

Nigerian Christian mother of 5, Rhoda Jatau, has been acquitted after being imprisoned for 19-months for allegedly sharing a video on WhatsApp.

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Yahaya Sharif-Aminu

In March 2020, a dangerous mob burned down his house and the Hisbah religious police, an official authority in charge of enforcing Sharia law, arrested Yahaya. Shortly after, the young man was convicted in a Sharia court for his alleged “blasphemy” and sentenced to death by hanging. His Supreme Court appeal has the potential to overturn Sharia-based blasphemy laws in Northern Nigeria.

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Adah

Adah had to flee her home after being threatened by her family for her conversion and obtained a protective order in another state.

Pastor Ezekiel

Pastor Ezekiel was captured and tortured by unidentified men for two weeks in February 2024, and then handed over to the police, who released him.

David

David was captured and tortured by unidentified men for two weeks in February 2024, and then handed over to the police, who charged him with kidnapping and obtained a conviction without a lawyer in 3 days. In July, the High Court in Northern Nigeria overturned his wrongful conviction. He is now free.

Naomi

Naomi had to flee her home after being threatened by her family for her conversion, and obtained a protective order in another state.

Rhoda Jatau

Nigerian Christian mother of 5, Rhoda Jatau, has been acquitted after being imprisoned for 19-months for allegedly sharing a video on WhatsApp.

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Read More

Yahaya Sharif-Aminu

In March 2020, a dangerous mob burned down his house and the Hisbah religious police, an official authority in charge of enforcing Sharia law, arrested Yahaya. Shortly after, the young man was convicted in a Sharia court for his alleged “blasphemy” and sentenced to death by hanging. His Supreme Court appeal has the potential to overturn Sharia-based blasphemy laws in Northern Nigeria.

Read More

Adah

Adah musste aus ihrem Zuhause fliehen, weil sie nach ihrer Konversion von ihrer Familie bedroht wurde. Sie erhielt in einem anderen Bundesstaat eine Schutzanordnung.

Pastor Ezekiel

Pastor Ezekiel wurde im Februar 2024 von unbekannten Männern gefangen genommen und zwei Wochen lang gefoltert, bevor er der Polizei übergeben wurde, die ihn wieder freiließ.

David

David wurde im Februar 2024 von unbekannten Männern gefangen genommen und zwei Wochen lang gefoltert. Anschließend wurde er der Polizei übergeben, die ihn wegen Entführung anklagte und innerhalb von drei Tagen ohne Anwalt eine Verurteilung erwirkte. Im Juli hob das Oberste Gericht in Nordnigeria das unrechtmäßige Urteil auf. Er ist nun frei.

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Naomi

Naomi musste aus ihrem Zuhause fliehen, nachdem sie wegen ihrer Konversion von ihrer Familie bedroht worden war, und erhielt in einem anderen Bundesstaat eine Schutzanordnung.

Rhoda Jatau

Die nigerianische Christin und Mutter von fünf Kindern, Rhoda Jatau, wurde freigesprochen, nachdem sie 19 Monate lang inhaftiert war, weil sie angeblich ein Video auf WhatsApp geteilt hatte.

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Yahaya Sharif-Aminu

Im März 2020 brannte ein gefährlicher Mob sein Haus nieder, und die Hisbah-Religionspolizei, eine für die Durchsetzung der Scharia zuständige Behörde, verhaftete Yahaya. Kurz darauf wurde der junge Mann vor einem Scharia-Gericht wegen angeblicher „Blasphemie“ verurteilt und zum Tod durch Erhängen verurteilt. Seine Berufung vor dem Obersten Gerichtshof könnte die auf der Scharia basierenden Blasphemiegesetze in Nordnigeria aufheben.

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