Trinity Alum Elected Chair at 42nd YCT State Convention

The Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) held its 42nd annual State Convention in Richardson, Texas on April 9-10, 2022. Over a hundred students from 27 chapters all over the state gathered to learn from a variety of conservative figures about current policy issues and how they get more involved in the conservative political movement. 

The convention started during the evening on Friday, April 9 with remarks from State Senators Angela Paxton (R-08) and Kelly Hancock (R-09). They talked about the worrying state of today’s education system, since both come from educational backgrounds themselves before entering politics. 

A networking event allowed students to check out the vendors from all sorts of conservative organizations that had booths set up in the hallway outside of the main room. Groups like the Leadership Institute, the Heritage Academy, Texas Right to Life, and many others helped get students in contact with internship opportunities for the summer. 

Sat. April 10 started off with a pro-life panel discussing the current cases heading to the Surpreme Court, their chances of succeeding, and what would change if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Conversation on the Supreme Court continued into the next panel, as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson had just been confirmed.

Noted conservative historian Dr. George H. Nash gave an in-depth lunch discussion sponsored by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute on the different factions in Conservatism and how their influence in Conservatism has shifted over time. He noted that the Conservative Movement has never been a stranger to disagreement and factions, but that it has remained remarkably resilient. 

The keynote speaker at the April 10 gala was Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian, who gave a lively and anecdote-filled speech in defense of natural gas in his signature East Texas drawl. Casino night provided evening entertainment after the Gala, as a weekend of informative panels and speeches was capped with a fun-filled Saturday night. 

Vaughan Schulte, Trinity University Class of 2024 Computer Science major, was one of the Trinity students who attended the convention and felt it was a positive experience. “My favorite part was probably hearing the Texas Railroad Commissioner and the President of the Heritage Foundation speak. I definitely feel more motivated to get out and better the world. It was energizing to meet many people on the same bandwidth. I hope to return to a convention–I’ll probably grab a few more business cards next time!”

Julia Crusius, in the red dress

While the convention was over, the state board still had work to do. At the Young Conservatives of Texas Association state board meeting in the morning on April 11, Trinity alumna Julia Crusius was elected unanimously as the 27th State Chair of the Young Conservatives of Texas Association. Crusius has worked as a Legislative Fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, where she focused on education and healthcare policy. She also has worked for Congressman Chip Roy and State Representative Mayes Middleton and served as chair of the Trinity YCT chapter during the 2019-2020 school year. 

Christian Watson Criticizes Critical Race Theory

When Christian Watson, spokesperson for Color Us United, came to Trinity University to talk about critical race theory (CRT), it was evident that the event would be controversial. Color Us United is an organization that advocates for a “race-blind America.”  The audience gathered in Chapman Great Hall was composed of Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) members, a table of liberal students, and a handful of other students interested in hearing Watson’s take on CRT. When asked how he decided to come to Trinity, he replied, “It wasn’t hard at all. I was invited, and I came.” 

Watson was raised by a liberal single mother, but as he grew older, he was exposed to alternative perspectives and started attending seminars that sparked his interest. When asked how he became interested in critical race theory, Watson explained that as an African American man, he interacted with CRT in his personal life and tended to have conversations about it, which led to “a deeper intellectual interest.”  Watson says he approaches his viewpoints from the perspective of  “philosophy, reason, and debate.”

Watson’s thesis is that the so-called diversity that is popular in America does not reflect true diversity. Today’s idea of diversity is limited to identity, a superficial way to sum up an individual. Judging someone simply on external criteria, as many institutions are prone to do for diversity action programs, ultimately gives an incomplete picture of a nuanced human being. He explained that diversity is naturally all around us, in our skills, abilities, personal beliefs, and interests. “Everyone has unique abilities and certain gifts which they must identify.” The problem is that society tries to push people away from their natural gifts and make them conform to a stereotype of what they’re supposed to be and how they’re supposed to behave. Watson concluded with a statement echoing the transcendentalists of time gone by: “Knowing yourself is the most important tool that you could possibly have in this life.”  

After he finished his lecture, a question and answer session followed. As mentioned before, a group of liberal students came to question him. They asked him about the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson, to which he replied that Biden nominated her based on race alone, rather than qualification, a perfect subversion of how it should be. When questioned about police brutality against African Americans, Watson countered, “What police brutality?” He said that the idea of systematic racism in the police force was a myth contrived by the leftist media and that the police were inherently good people. Another question came up about intentional inclusivity in the workplace, and he said it was absolutely not a good idea; people should be hired based on abilities rather than identity. This all goes back to the concept of the color-blind system Watson promotes, to ultimately treat everyone equally. 

Christian Watson’s key takeaway is to judge people based on their ideas and what they have to offer, rather than based on external criteria, a lesson that the world desperately needs to hear. His personal experience as an African American in a world distorted by critical race theory drives home the true significance of his message. Watson was an excellent speaker, convicted in his beliefs, which he explained clearly and concisely. Christian Watson delivered a refreshing and thought-provoking critique of critical race theory to the Trinity University students who gathered to hear him and his ideas.

Cover photo taken by Ellis Jacoby.

Keynote Speakers Announced for Annual Young Conservatives of Texas Convention

In a press release on Tues. Mar. 9, The Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) announced its keynote speakers for its annual convention, which will be held April 23-25, 2012. Each of the two days of the convention will feature educational panels throughout the day, along with larger events featuring notable keynote speakers in the evenings. On Saturday night, the keynote speakers will be U.S. Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX) and Representative Mayes Middleton (R-23). The speakers for Friday night’s reception will be Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and the honorable Steve Munisteri, former chairman of the Republican Party of Texas and founder of YCT.

YCT announced in a press release on Wed., Feb. 3, that Cruz would be the keynote speaker for Friday night. Manfred Wendt, the Executive Director of YCT, expressed his excitement for YCT to host the senator in the press release, saying that “Senator Cruz has proven to be a rock-ribbed Conservative who fights for the people of Texas.”

The keynote speaker for Saturday night, Congressman Roy, serves as the Congressional Representative for Texas’ 21st district and as a member of the House Freedom Caucus. In YCT’s second press release, Wendt describes Roy as “the leading conservative in Washington” who “leads the fight in support of conservative principles and serves as a role model for young conservatives across the state of Texas.” Roy has had a long history of working with YCT, including serving as the keynote speaker for their convention in 2019. YCT has been heavily involved in both his 2018 and 2020 campaigns.

Representative Middleton is currently serving in his second session in Texas’ House of Representatives. In YCT’s legislative scorecard, wherein they provide a score to each state legislator according to how conservative their voting record is, Middleton was awarded a score of 97 for the 86th legislative session, the highest of all the house members and senators. He currently serves as the chairman for the Texas Freedom Caucus, which is composed of members all ranked highly by YCT.

According to YCT’s press release from Mar. 9, there is an expected attendance of over 200 at each of these speaking engagements.

Congressman Chip Roy Zooms to Trinity University

On Tues. Mar. 2, 2021, Congressman Chip Roy (R-Texas) came to Trinity University to speak to students. The event was run and sponsored by the Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) chapter. 

Nathan Darsch, Class of 2022 and Chairman of YCT at Trinity University, said that he “asked Congressman Chip Roy to speak at the meeting because he is what we need more of in Congress.” Darsch also said that Roy “is a true conservative who will put his principles before party and I wanted my members to see that there are people genuinely fighting for conservative values and trying to make life better for future generations. My hope is that by listening to Congressman Roy it will encourage my members to help get more people like him elected in the future.”

Roy spoke about Texas Independence, COVID-19, and the importance of preserving individual freedoms. Roy spoke to the students for about 30 minutes, and then spent the last 30 minutes of the meeting answering questions in a Q&A format. Attendees of the event asked questions about COVID-19 relief bills, upcoming gun control bills, and fiscal responsibility (or lack thereof) of the United States government. 

When asked about fiscal responsibility and the government’s infringement of individual freedoms, Roy asked his audience to consider one important fact: “You cannot fund the people who are taking your freedom away and expect to have freedom.” Roy told students that states should use their power to keep the federal government in check, especially states like Texas that have citizens whose freedoms are being infringed by the federal government. The government’s primary function is to protect its citizens, and state governments should protect their citizens even from the federal government if it is necessary.

Roy made sure to clarify that he did not support a physical uprising–nor does he condone the the events at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021–but he did say that states should take legal action against the federal government if things get out of hand and it is necessary to do so in order to protect the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. 

Students who attended the event felt positively about Roy and his talk. Joseph Burrhus, Class of 2024, said that “Our meeting with Congressman Chip Roy was both inspiring and educational. He was able to communicate powerful arguments and explanations about important issues while also expressing his passionate love and devotion toward the country and the people he serves.” When asked about how the event influenced his views of YCT or his desire to attend future meetings, Burrhus said “After the meeting with Chip Roy, I feel more incentivized to go to YCT meetings because they are a great opportunity to learn about different issues, why they are important, and what can be done to fix them.”

Emma McMahan, Class of 2021 and a former officer of YCT, also enjoyed the meeting. She thought that Roy’s “ introductory speech in the beginning of the meeting reeled me into the discussion because he was obviously passionate about his beliefs, decreasing federal spending, for instance.” McMahan also commented on YCT’s friendly relationship with Roy, for whose campaign many YCT members from Trinity University have volunteered to blockwalk and phonebank. “I think YCT having a close connection with a U.S. Congressman like Chip Roy is a good thing because it gives us a good reputation as a conservative club.”

Ellis Jacoby, Class of 2024, also enjoyed the event. When asked about his reaction to Roy’s talk, he said that Roy “was really interesting and gave me some insight into how Congress really works. His explanation on how few chances he has to propose amendments to bills really shows how little influence individual Congressman have over the bills that Congress passes.” Jacoby also mentioned that Roy’s “level of concern for our national debt and his calls to have us hold our members of Congress accountable definitely encouraged me to do more to influence my representatives.” 

The event encouraged members of YCT to interact more with their local government and representatives, and to keep fighting for conservative values. The small event enabled for personal discussions and connections between club members and Roy, and students enjoyed the experience to meet with their Congressman and hear his opinions on important conservative issues. 

Get to Know TU Clubs

This semester is a very strange one to be a tiger, especially for first year students. Rather than being able to attend the annual Student Involvement Fair and being overwhelmed by students handing out fliers, goody-bags, stickers, and cookies, the Class of 2024 attended an online zoom session with various clubs after watching their self-made introductory videos.

To help Tower readers–especially freshmen–find their niche on campus, I’ve interviewed officers from four different clubs to explain their club, how it enhances student life at Trinity University, and why new students should attend their meetings.

Tigers for Life is dedicated to discussing various pro-life issues on campus, educating members and Trinity students, and volunteering and engaging in activism to support the goals of the Pro-Life Movement. According to club president Angelique Lopez (Class of 2022): “Tigers for Life enhances student life at Trinity by bringing more diverse conversations about topics that are important yet a lot of people are uncomfortable talking about. By having weekly meetings and frequent information tables, we seek to educate and spread awareness about end-of-life issues such as abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, In Vitro Fertilization and embryonic stem cell research. In addition, Tigers for Life seeks to enhance student life at Trinity with its new Pregnant on Campus Initiative which aims to make Trinity more inclusive to pregnant and parenting students. Hopefully, with this initiative, we can help end the stigma against pregnant and parenting students and eventually be able to provide some kind of financial aid for those students.

“If students are interested in learning more about end-of-life issues such as abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, IVF and embryonic stem cell research, or would like to volunteer helping women with crisis pregnancies, Tigers for Life is a great group to join and welcomes both pro-life and pro-choice students. 

“Tigers for Life remains dedicated to our mission of defending the value and dignity of all human lives this semester, whether on or off campus. In accordance with this mission, the health and safety of our members, classmates and community are of utmost importance given the circumstances this fall. For the time being, we are hosting all club gatherings virtually, but we will adjust our plans in accordance with university guidelines to come and with our members’ circumstances and wishes.” Tigers for Life holds weekly meetings via Zoom every Thursday from 6-7pm.

The Young Conservatives of Texas is the only politically-oriented club on campus for Conservative students. They focus on discussions about both conservative philosophy and policy and often volunteer on various local campaigns. According to the current president, Nathan Darsch (Class of 2022), “YCT enhances student life at Trinity by giving students a place to listen to and be part of more conservative discussion that otherwise wouldn’t have been on Trinity’s campus.

“Any Trinity student can come to our meetings and join us in our discussions. We are actively looking for conservative or libertarian students that believe in the ideas and ideals laid out in the Constitution and by the Founding Fathers.” To keep their sense of community during COVID-19, YCT will “be holding meetings and many of our social events over zoom. Despite having to do most things over Zoom, we hope to still be able to do a few activities on and around campus so that club members can work together and feel like they are part of the community,” said Darsch. YCT holds its weekly meetings every Tuesday from 6-7pm via Zoom.

This semester is the first semester in many years in which Trinity University has had its own chapter of Young Americans for Liberty (YAL). Club founders Zachary Neeley (Class of 2021) and Timothy Yen (Class of 2022) founded YAL “to provide an on-campus home for libertarian students at Trinity that could serve the two-fold purpose of talking about issues libertarians care about in a libertarian setting and acting as a way for libertarians to get to know each other in an open and friendly environment,” said Neeley. He and Yen both expressed that they had attended meetings held by YCT, but did not feel that they could talk about libertarian issues they cared about in the majority-conservative meetings. 

Yen said that YAL enhances student life at Trinity because their “approach to campus politics is very simple: cooperation. We want to engage with other clubs on campus, both political and non-political, in the areas where our values and positions overlap. Libertarianism is a political philosophy, but the paradigm of libertarianism, which I like to summarize as ‘don’t hurt others, and don’t take their stuff,’ can be applied to daily life as well. Recently, there has been a project called ‘The Trinity Way’ where students anonymously submit complaints and stories about their experiences at Trinity. I think many of these problems can be fixed using the libertarian framework of resolving issues outside of institutions of authority. We understand that we are not policymakers, but we would like to bring attention to certain issues that we care about as libertarians, such as the war on drugs and the atrocities in Yemen enabled in no small part by the United States.” 

While YAL is primarily made up of libertarian members, Yen said that YAL “welcome[s] all political ideologues to our meetings. We plan on being transparent with our meeting topics, so if anyone may be interested in a certain issue, or perhaps debate us on an issue, they are more than welcome to join us for those meetings. Libertarians have internal debates too, and we’d love to have Trinity students, both those who identify as libertarians and those who don’t, to weigh in.”

YAL holds weekly meetings via zoom from 5-6pm CST. In addition to this, Yen said that “We also have a GroupMe chat, where we often talk about politics, but we also try to build a community by talking about music, sports, and our lives outside of politics. We actually have a lot in common besides politics, and I feel very lucky that we have the infrastructure to continue our friendship and community while we are not together geographically. Additionally, we engage our members by giving them the opportunity to vote on what kind of posts we put on our Twitter (@TrinityYal) and Instagram (@yalibertytrinityu).” 

The Catholic Student Group (CSG) at Trinity does its best to foster in students both a deep love for Christ and a greater understanding of Catholic teachings. According to the current president, Alex Jacobs (Class of 2020), “CSG enhances student life at Trinity in several ways. First and foremost, we bring the sacraments to campus, primarily the sacraments of Confession and Eucharist. The power of these sacraments is eternal life, which is the greatest life enhancement you could possibly get. Although only a minority of the students on campus actually take advantage of these sacraments, the grace contained in them is the grace of Christ, which is infinite, and so their effects are not limited only to the people who receive them. The people who receive the sacraments on campus become beacons of light, through which God shines his grace on the rest of the campus.

CSG accepts all interested members, particularly “both Catholics and people who are interested in Catholicism. We have opportunities to learn about the faith and can provide any truth-seekers with ample resources to bring that search to term. We will have Mass regularly at 5pm in Parker Chapel. Furthermore, we plan to have some zoom events as well as some random outdoor gatherings with small numbers of people. We also have Bible studies that people are always welcome to join. Some of our zooms will be speakers.”

Pro-Life Memorial Attacked

On Wednesday, Sep. 30, a pro-life memorial at the University of North Texas (UNT) was attacked. The memorial, composed of 1,000 pink flags and a few informational signs, was set up earlier that day by the Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) to commemorate the victims of abortion. Each flag represented 60,000 lives lost to abortion since the 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade.

The memorial after vandals took down the flags (photo taken by Madison Mills)

“The memorial was intended to help students understand the impact of abortion in a meaningful way,” says Kelly Neidert, chairwoman of YCT at UNT. “We were wanting to draw attention to overturning Roe v. Wade because that’s being talked about a lot in the political sphere with Amy Coney Barrett being the SCOTUS nomination.”

UNT student tweeting about plans to vandalize the memorial

Before it was even placed, UNT students who were hostile to the idea of the memorial were already threatening on social media to take it down. Many tweeted their intentions to take down the memorial in response to YCT’s announcement of their memorial a week before it was placed. “Can’t wait to spend a Wednesday night ripping out a [sic] 1000 flags” said one twitter user, with many others expressing similar sentiments. “Looks like I’ll be tearing them up,” threatened another, who also sent a direct message to Neidert encouraging her to kill herself. 

Many of these students were angry about the memorial’s pro-life message. They were also concerned that YCT was able to conduct such an activity despite UNT’s restrictions on student organizations hosting events due to COVID. YCT had direct permission from the school to place the memorial.

Soon after the memorial was placed, vandals attacked it, removing and stealing 350 of the flags as well as the display signs meant to inform UNT students about the purpose of the memorial. They also refused discussion while lobbing profanities at the YCT members who were there to witness the vandalism.

“I was appalled when I saw students planning ‘capture the flag’ games on twitter, and I honestly didn’t think they would go through with it,” says Neidert, who is a constant target of threats from students who disagree with her and with YCT. “It was so disappointing to see the vandalism and theft that occurred over such a sensitive topic.”

UNT student tweeting about plans to vandalize the memorial

One individual has been apprehended and cited for vandalism and theft. 180 of the flags have since been recovered.

Cover image taken by Madison Mills

The Young Conservatives at Trinity University Push for Nomination

At approximately 10am on Sep. 21, 2020, the Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) and their chapter at Trinity University revealed a press release detailing their opinion about the replacement of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In the press release, YCT pushes for President Trump to fill the Supreme Court vacancy with “an originalist.” An “originalist” is someone who believes that the United States Constitution should be read and interpreted as the Founding Fathers originally intended. 

Manfred Wendt, the Executive Director of YCT, stated that the president needs to “nominate a strong conservative originalist justice… [and] The Senate should not paralyze the Supreme Court by playing politics when the Presidential election could come down to a Supreme Court decision.”

The Senate’s decision could interfere with current politics, especially the presidential election in November, especially because some are calling on Joe Biden, the current frontrunner, not to concede if it looks like he is losing. The Supreme Court was used to determine the winner of the 2000 presidential election between Bush and Al Gore, so it would not be surprising if the Supreme Court has to get involved in what is believed to be one of the most contested elections in the United States’ history.

Nathan Darsch, the Chapter Chair of YCT at Trinity University, stated that nominating justices to the Supreme Court is “President Trump’s constitutional right” and that the Senate must quickly “make a decision regarding the president’s nominee and not devolve into partisan politics, because their decision determines whether we have the possibility of a 4-4 Supreme Court decision if the election is contested.”

Both Wendt and Darsch called on Texas senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn to support the nomination of a qualified nominee. Both also called for the president to nominate a conservative and originalist justice to fill the Supreme Court vacancy.

The press release ends with YCT pledging to support “the confirmation of a qualified, Constitution-upholding Supreme Court justice and will work tirelessly to ensure their confirmation.”

YCT plans to do this by holding events such as tablings and rallies, and by encouraging elected officials to support Trump nominating a conservative Supreme Court justice. However, they do stipulate that this will only be done for those nominees that will “not legislate from the bench, abide by the text of the Constitution, and support the Constitution’s undeniable right to life.”

BREAKING: Violence Breaks Out Between Political Groups at Texas State

Today at Texas State University, students accosted a member of the Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) on campus, taking his hat and pushing him to the ground. Police removed at least one handcuffed person from the scene.

Tyler Minor, a member of YCT at Texas State University in San Marcos, was wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat in front of a group of students. Individuals identified as members of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) allegedly snatched the hat from his head, according to a Facebook post by YCT. Minor attempted to retrieve the hat and was then pushed to the ground by a currently unidentified man.

Video livestreamed by YCT-Texas State member Sebastian Quaid shows police removing at least one person from the scene.

This article will be updated as more verifiable information becomes available.

Photo screenshot from Quaid’s Facebook video.

Smoke Bomb Forces UT-YCT Chapter to Relocate Event

On April 29 the Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) at the University of Texas at Austin (UT) held an event which was disrupted by an unknown person who set off a smoke bomb outside of the lecture hall and forced an evacuation of the building after someone pulled the fire alarm. This event featured Ryan Bomberger, founder of the Radiance Foundation and pro-life “factivist”, who was to discuss the sanctity of life. No one was hurt and the lecture was able to continue after being moved to another space.

The incoming vice-chair for Young Conservatives of Texas at UT, Jordan Clements, said this wasn’t the first time they brought Bomberger to campus and that there were no protesters at the event. “Some of the flyers for this event, which had a pic of Bomberger with the text ‘Should Have Been Aborted’ and event details were missing,” Clements said.

UT-YCT students claimed they weren’t at all surprised by the smoke bomb. “While this particular incident had never occurred before, I knew of similar instances occurring at other universities,” Clements said. “This coward did this because he can’t handle the truth.”

“They know that they can’t win on facts so they use intimidation instead,” Clements said.

Homer Trevino, another UT-YCT student who attended the event, had a similar reaction to the smoke bomb.

“I thought it was just another stunt pulled by the left to try to silence speech they do not agree with… Luckily nobody got hurt,” Trevino said. “But what if they had? What if they had done something more extreme?”

In an email sent out by the school, UT labeled the incident “criminal mischief” and gave a brief summary of what happened. “How is endangering people’s lives mischief?” Trevino said.

“I can’t help but feel the administration would only give the perpetrator a slap on the wrist and give them a warning, as opposed to a whole lot of trouble, had they disrupted a leftist event,” Clements said.

A criminal investigation is currently underway and the school and police recommend that anyone with information that can help the investigation please step forward. This story may be updated as new information becomes available.

Images courtesy of Young Conservatives of Texas at University of Texas.

Bob Fu of ChinaAid Speaks to YCT about Christianity, Communism

Tuesday, March 19, Trinity University’s Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) hosted Bob Fu. Fu is the founder and president of ChinaAid, a non-profit, Christian-based organization that advocates for human rights and religious freedom in China. ChinaAid gives financial and moral support to Christian Chinese families who have been persecuted by the Chinese government. His main goal is for Chinese Christians and other religious groups to express their religion with ease and without persecution from the Chinese government.

To begin his speech, Fu gave a short backstory about his earlier life and how ChinaAid came to be founded. While attending university in Beijing, he participated in the 1989 Tiananmen Square student and intellectuals demonstrations. During which Fu and his girlfriend at the time, now his wife, Heidi, converted to Christianity. Soon after the Tiananmen Square Massacre, he was imprisoned in China for identifying as a Christian. It was these incidents in his life that highlight his history of fighting for freedom and democracy in China.

Bob Fu is not the only one to have been imprisoned for his religious beliefs. Even today, many Chinese Christians are being imprisoned for their faith. In fact, one who expresses his or her faith is considered a political dissident, which can warrant imprisonment.

“Hearing that from the point of view of someone who grew up under a regime like China was shocking,” said Daniel Mitchell, a junior at Trinity University.

However, it is not only Chinese Christians who are being persecuted for their faith. “One to three million Muslims are being put into concentration camps by the Communist Party,” explained Fu.

The Uyghurs, a majority Muslim ethnic minority from Xinjiang province, are being torn from their homes and sent to concentration camps by the Chinese Communist Party.

Fu further explained that the amount of Christians in China actually grew after the Tiananmen Square Massacre. He predicts that there will be over 200 million Christians in China within the next 20 to 30 years.

“It was interesting to see Fu’s predictions of the numbers regarding the amount of future Chinese Christians,” said Ian Kavanagh, a senior at Trinity University who worked at ChinaAid this past summer.

Fu is optimistic about the growth of the amount of Christians in China, he predicted there will soon be more than 200 million Chinese Christians. “Sooner or later, they [Chinese government] will realize that imprisoning these Christians will not be a sustainable policy,” he said.

Fu believes that imprisoning people for their faith will eventually become unsustainable because Chinese prisons “will not able to hold every single Christian in China.”

Even though religious persecution continues in China, Bob Fu will not give up. Today, he continues as president of ChinaAid to advocate for religious freedom and basic human rights in China. ChinaAid continues to support persecuted families in need and educating those who are not familiar with this issue.

Photo courtesy YCT.