Religious persecution around the world is really nothing new but Tom Farr of the Religious Freedom Institute  says it appears that newly appointed ambassador for international religious freedom, Sam Brownback, is leading the U.S. to address the crisis in new ways.

Farr points out to OneNewsNow that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced he will hold a first ministerial summit on religious freedom next month in Washington, D.C. to discuss religious persecution.

Farr calls that an “extraordinary” move by the Trump administration after the State Department was mandated by law to push for religious freedom in its foreign policy, a law dating back 20 years.

“We’ve had four presidential administrations, five ambassadors, I don’t know how many secretaries of state,” he says, “but none of them have done this and I think it’s very encouraging.”

He cautions about expecting too much, and too soon, “but you have to start somewhere in pulling together efforts to fight this terrible scourge.”