Monday, November 3, 2025 | 7 – 9 p.m.
First Baptist Church of Glenarden Ministry Center
3600 Brightseat Road | Landover, MD 20785
Designed for pastors and ministry leaders seeking to navigate today’s cultural and legal challenges with confidence, this event features Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and highlights how the organization equips ministries with expert legal counsel, document reviews, and resources to protect religious liberty and biblical values. In a time when ministries face increasing pressure from shifting laws and cultural opposition, ADF stands as a vital ally — ensuring churches can operate freely and faithfully, to keep the door open for the gospel. Join us to connect, learn, and strengthen your ministry’s foundation for the road ahead.
Presenters
Patrick Piccolo, Kelvin Cochran and Don Ziel
Pat Piccolo serves as legal counsel and deputy director of the Church and Ministry Alliance with ADF. In this role, he oversees a group of attorneys and helps lead the CMA program, which serves ministries by providing them with educational resources and legal counsel necessary to fulfill their religious missions.
Prior to joining ADF, Piccolo clerked in a Virginia Circuit Court and worked in private practice, where he represented landowners facing condemnations and businesses navigating a wide array of commercial disputes.
Piccolo earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2016. He obtained his B.A. in history and religious studies from the University of Virginia College of Arts and Sciences. Piccolo is a member of the Virginia bar.
Kelvin J. Cochran serves as senior fellow and vice president at ADF. In this role, he oversees the spiritual care of ADF team members, speaks at ADF events and conferences, and assists the ADF Church and Ministry Alliance by expanding alliances with pastors and minority faith communities.
Cochran dedicated more than 30 years to fighting fires and protecting the communities in which he’s lived and worked. After being born into extreme poverty in Shreveport, Louisiana, he worked his way up the ranks and became Shreveport’s fire chief in 1999 where he served until he was appointed fire chief for the city of Atlanta, Georgia, in 2008. His exemplary service record drew the attention of President Obama who appointed Cochran as the administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration in 2009, the highest office in the profession. He then resumed his post as Atlanta Fire Chief in 2010. After the city of Atlanta terminated Cochran’s employment because of his Christian faith and beliefs, ADF represented him in a federal lawsuit. A federal court ruled the city of Atlanta discriminated against Cochran’s religious views and violated his First Amendment rights, and the city of Atlanta agreed to a favorable settlement.
Prior to his role at ADF, Cochran served as chief operating officer of Elizabeth Baptist Church in Atlanta. He received his doctorate of education in interdisciplinary leadership from Creighton University and is the author of two books, a sought-after public speaker, and an advocate for religious liberty and unity of the body of Christ.
Don Ziel serves as senior vice president of the Church and Ministry Alliance and assistant general counsel at ADF. In this role, he serves as counsel to ADF as it carries out its organizational mission and leads a team helping an alliance of church and ministry members to fulfill their religious missions without unnecessary legal barriers.
Ziel has more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit ministry organizations both in direct ministry and in operations leadership. Before joining ADF, Ziel served as senior director of Legal Services and legal counsel at Young Life, building and overseeing the organization’s in-house legal team and providing legal support on issues such as campus access, contract management, human resources, global compliance, risk management, and corporate structure.
Prior to his position at Young Life, Ziel spent 12 years in the General Counsel’s office at Cru (formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ) leading efforts in contract management, intellectual property, and global compliance for an international organization active in 191 countries. Ziel helped launch and direct Cru’s legal internship program which has provided a practical summer training experience and mentorship to nearly 100 law students since its inception in 2008.
Ziel earned his bachelor’s degree in history at the University of Illinois and spent four years serving as a campus staff member for Cru before returning to complete his law degree, cum laude, at the University of Illinois. He is licensed to practice law in Illinois, Florida, and Colorado.
Registration & Deadline
Project Bridges Ministry Renewal Forums are held a few times per year to address pertinent ministry issues and provide an opportunity to network and obtain strategic updates with government, community and faith-based leaders. Register here by Friday, October 31, 2025.
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