Advocacy Through Imitation: From Australia to America
May 11, 2026
By Josh Worden
Vanessa Cheng and Dr. Minta Hardman share more than a passion for Christian education. Both have recently faced serious legislative threats to school choice and religious liberty—and responded with bold, community-driven advocacy.
Though separated by nearly 10,000 miles, both leaders confronted legislation that would restrict Christian schools’ ability to hire staff aligned with their faith.
Inspired by one another’s efforts, Cheng and Hardman each mobilized their communities, resulting in significant wins for religious freedom.
Vanessa Cheng, CEO of the Australian Association of Christian Schools (AACS), faced this threat in 2024. The Australian Law Reform Commission made recommendations to remove exemptions from discrimination laws, which Australian Christian schools rely on to hire staff.
The changes would have exposed Christian schools to legal risk for hiring staff based on their beliefs on issues such as sexuality and marriage.
“It would have fundamentally changed the nature of Christian schools if we couldn't continue to employ staff who share our faith,” Cheng said. "Speaking as a parent, I know I would have been horrified if this had gone through.”
Worse yet, Cheng was informed that these recommendations were likely to be implemented.
“We were told it was going to happen,” Cheng said. “We had some consultations with the federal government and they had a bill ready to go.”
In response, the AACS joined with other Christian school associations and launched the “Faith in Our Future” campaign to inform parents, educators, and students about the proposed changes, and give them a platform to share how Christian education had impacted their lives.
The result was a series of town hall meetings across Australia that allowed local politicians to hear those testimonies.
“We wanted them to be hope-filled events, to share with politicians that Christian schools are good news for the country, and so please let that good news continue,” Cheng said.
The first town hall meeting in Brisbane drew more than 800 people, “an incredible response,” Cheng said. Five town halls followed nationwide, attracting more than 4,000 supporters.
“Parents like our values. They want to ensure that when they send their children to a Christian school, they're receiving that Christian education,” Cheng said.
Attendees also signed postcards to the Prime Minister, resulting in 2,000 messages advocating for religious freedom.
Following the campaign, the proposed legislation was put on hold—and no similar bill has emerged in the two years since.
"I do believe that because of our campaign, the government took pause,” she said. “I think it highlights the importance of speaking out as a community and recognizing that we do have a voice as Christians. And when we speak out in numbers, governments listen.”
Crossing the Pond
In February 2026, Hardman faced a similar trial to Cheng.
As Administrator of Mountain View Christian Academy (MVCA) in Winchester, Virginia, Hardman was concerned about Virginia’s House Bill No. 359.
The bill would have required any Christian school receiving federal funds—even a small grant—to operate under Department of Education oversight.
“I would not be able to hire Christian teachers, and we would not be able to teach the Bible,” Hardman said. “We would have had to become like a public school or not take any money, which is what Christian schools would have done.”
In honor of Parental Rights Advocacy Day, Hardman invited MVCA parents and students to travel to the House of Delegates in Richmond on February 10 to advocate for Christian education.
The day before they went to Richmond, the Virginia House Education Committee passed the bill, advancing it to the House Appropriations Committee.
The next day, 46 members of the MVCA community traveled to Richmond—35 students, nine parents, and two staff members. They attended a press conference, met with state legislators, prayed for them, and observed the General Assembly in session.
The day after their visit, the bill was tabled in committee, killing its progress for the 2026 session.
“Praise the Lord,” Hardman said. “I believe that our presence, our voice, our prayers, and our written testimony and letters contributed to this victory.”
Borrowing Inspiration
Cheng’s advocacy was influenced in part by her first ACSI Public Policy & Advocacy (PPA) Summit in Washington, D.C., in 2023.
"I thought it was such a great initiative to connect with lawmakers, have politicians come and speak directly to Christian school leaders, and encourage Christian school leaders around the country to have meetings on Capitol Hill,” she said. “I thought I would love to replicate this event back in Australia.”
The AACS held its first Advocacy and Policy Summit in 2025, with federal and state representatives speaking to Christian leaders on a range of issues. More than 140 educators attended the 2026 event, and George Tryfiates, ACSI Vice President for Public Policy & Legal Affairs, delivered a keynote presentation.
“That connection with George and the work of the public policy team in Washington has been hugely beneficial for me,” Cheng said.
It was at the 2024 PPA Summit in Washington, D.C. that Cheng and Hardman first met. Similar to how Cheng replicated the Summit in her own country, Hardman replicated Cheng's ideas in Virginia.
“Vanessa shared about doing her ‘Faith in Our Future’ rally across Australia,” Hardman said. “And I'm like, ‘We need to do that in Virginia.’”
Hardman helped organize the first event in 2025 on MVCA’s campus, blending Cheng’s town hall model with a summit-style gathering to honor, pray for, and engage public officials.
“The whole goal was to honor our civil servants and unite, pray for them, and educate,” Hardman said.
Cheng loved hearing that MVCA was implementing similar methods across an ocean.
“It's just really encouraging that with similar issues we're facing across the world, we can encourage each other with these kinds of ideas and initiatives,” Cheng said.
To learn how you can help advocate for Christian education, visit the Public Policy and Legal Affairs website or register for the 2026 PPA Summit.