About John Graz, Secretary-General

Dr John Graz, a citizen of both Switzerland and France, was born at Thonon-les-Bains, France. His father was Swiss, and his family has lived in Switzerland for centuries. He was elected Secretary-General of the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) in 1995, and served as liaison to the United Nations at Geneva until 2000.

John Graz studied theology, history, and the sociology of religion, obtaining his Licence at Saleve Adventist Seminary, his Master's Degree at the University of Montpellier, and his Doctorate from the Sorbonne University in Paris.

Career

He began his career as a pastor for students in Montpellier, and then served as a pastor in Pau, France. Later, he worked in Paris as a church Communication Director for more than 16 years.  He has produced radio and television programs, and has written several books and numerous articles, some of which have been translated into more than ten languages.

John Graz was also director of an international youth organization for ten years, and a guest speaker for many international congresses. He has organized major international meetings in Europe and throughout the world. He organized the Fourth IRLA World Congress on Religious Liberty in Rio de Janeiro in 1997, the Fifth IRLA World Congress in Manila in 2002, and the Sixth IRLA World Congress in Cape Town, South Africa in 2007. In 1999, Graz established the annual IRLA Meeting of Experts for Religious Freedom, which has become a prominent thinktank in the field of religion and state relations.  He initiated the Festival of Religious Freedom in 1997, which has become the largest celebration of religious freedom with stadium events held in many capital cities around the world. 

Since the beginning of his career Dr Graz has been involved in the promotion and defense of religious freedom. For ten years he was Public Relations Director for the Association Internationale pour la Défense de la Liberté Religieuse, headquarted in Bern, Switzerland. Graz has met heads of state and religious leaders in nearly 100 countries.  He has been invited several times by the United Nations and UNESCO to participate in symposiums, and he has published an annual Religious Freedom World Report since 2000.

Current Positions

In July 1995, Dr Graz was elected director of the Department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He is a member of the John Weidner Foundation's Board, and in 2002 was elected, then reelected in 2004, as Secretary General of the Conference of Secretaries of the World Christian Communions—a conference of Christian leaders representing two billion Christians. He is also a member of the Board of the International Academy of Religious Freedom. He has been Director for External Relations for the International Center on Government and Religion at Andrews University.

High Distinction

On December 15, 2004 he was awarded the National Medal For Merit in Rank of Commander by the President of Romania.

Family

John Graz grew up in a family that accepted religious diversity. His father was Protestant, but was not a churchgoer; his mother was Catholic; one of his aunts was an Evangelical; and the other was a Seventh-day Adventist. All lived in good harmony and mutual respect. For the Graz family, freedom has great value. All his mother's brothers and sisters joined the Allies during World War II. An uncle was killed during the war, and his grandfather died in the Dachau concentration camp for having helped Jews and the French resistance.

John Graz is married to Medina Chitty Graz, and they have three sons who currently live in Switzerland.