edwords was national director of the united coalition of reason from 2009 to 2015, president of camp quest, inc., from 2002 to 2005, and on the staff of the ohio camp from 1998 to 2008. he was also vice president of the north american committee for humanism from 1990 to 1992 and president of the humanist association of san diego in 1978. he has served on the boards of the international humanist and ethical union (1986–1999), the new york council for evolution education (1982–1994), and the national center for science education (1982–1992). he was chair of the american humanist association's humanist manifesto iii drafting committee from 2002 to 2003. on august 7, 1985, he became a co-plaintiff in the successful u.s. district court lawsuit, "asimov v. united states", against the u.s. department of education, brought by the national emergency civil liberties committee re: magnet schools in the math/science bill. he is currently one of the plaintiffs in a case that started in 2014 as "american humanist association et al v. maryland-national capital park and planning commission", a federal lawsuit on appeal to the u.s. supreme court that is aimed at removing a 40 foot tall latin cross on public property in bladensburg, maryland.