Global Religious Freedom Summit to Be Hosted March 19 at Baylor University

March 12, 2015

WACO, Texas (March 12, 2015) — Global Religious Freedom Summit, a panel discussion featuring Baylor University President and Chancellor Ken Starr, former Congressman Frank Wolf and Bob Fu, president and founder of the China Aid Association, will be hosted by Baylor China Aid from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Thursday, March 19, in the Kayser Auditorium of Hankamer School of Business.
The three men will discuss the plight of those facing religious persecution around the world. The event is free and open to the public, although seating is limited and attendees will be accommodated on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The panelists’ “combined advocacy and experience in fighting for religious freedom is sure to serve as a catalyst for powerful conversation on one of our world’s most urgent dissensions,” said Grant Jones, president of Baylor China Aid and a Baylor senior majoring in international studies.
Starr has spoken and written on the subject of religious freedom throughout his career, delivering the keynote address in Rome in 2013 at a conference co-sponsored by Baylor's Institute for Studies of Religion and Georgetown University's Religious Freedom Project.
In January, Wolf was named the Jerry and Susie Wilson Chair in Religious Freedom to lead Baylor’s efforts on Capitol Hill and globally to address the issues of freedom of conscience and worship and Christianity’s role in promoting freedom.
Fu, born and raised in Mainland China, is a leading voice for persecuted faith communities in China. He taught English to Communist Party officials in the 1990s and was a house church leader in Beijing until he and his wife were imprisoned for two months for “illegal evangelism” in 1996. They fled to the United States and founded China Aid to bring international attention to China's human rights violations. Fu regularly briefs the State Department and Congress on the status of religious freedom and rule of law in China.
Baylor China Aid’s mission is to educate and equip students to use their gifts and talents to advocate for religious freedom in China and around the world. It is China Aid's first collegiate chapter, working to provide Baylor and the greater Waco community with opportunities to learn about, discuss and engage in the fight for religious freedom.
Hankamer School of Business is located at 1428 S. Fifth St. in Waco. For more information, contact Grant Jones at (303) 859-4958 or email him at grant_jones2@baylor.edu

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research activity” by Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. It provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 16,000 students, blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through efforts of Baptist pioneers, it is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. It sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.