• Former U.S. Congressman named Wilson Chair in Religious Freedom

    Frank Wolf

    In December, Baylor announced a $2 million gift from Jerry and Susie Wilson to endow a chair in religious freedom, in support of the university’s educational mission and its Institute for Studies of Religion. It didn’t take long for the chair to be filled; Monday, longtime U.S. Congressman Frank Wolf was announced to fill the role.

    Over more than three decades as a U.S. representative, Wolf has been a champion of religious liberty, both here in America and internationally (by shaping foreign policy). Having completed his 17th term earlier this month, Wolf elected to retire so that he could focus exclusively on human rights and religious freedom — and that’s just what he’ll be doing at Baylor.

    [READ WORLD Magazine’s December 2014 feature on Wolf and the driving force behind his beliefs]

    “Jesus of Nazareth had much to say about the persecuted, the oppressed, and the imprisoned,” Wolf once noted. “But is the church in the West today burdened by the great injustice of religious persecution? Not because we are driven by guilt, but because we are motivated by our faith. Not because of some tired sense of obligation, but because of a vibrant biblical mandate.”

    As the Wilson Chair, Wolf will lead Baylor’s efforts on Capitol Hill and throughout the world to address freedom of conscience and worship and, in particular, Christianity’s enduring role in promoting human freedom. He will work to strengthen congressional support for the preservation, protection and defense of religious freedom, both at home and abroad, while also fostering and facilitating the understanding of Christianity as a liberator of pressing social issues, such as human trafficking, women’s rights, rights of refugees, and human suffering.

    He’ll also look to pass that information and passion on to the next generation, working with Baylor students both in Waco (where he will be a guest lecturer in classes, meet with student groups, and offer public lectures) and in D.C. (where he will meet with Baylor student interns).

    “Congressman Frank Wolf has been widely recognized as the ‘conscience’ of the Congress and a champion of religious freedom in both U.S. domestic and foreign policy,” says President Ken Starr. “We are truly honored and humbled that Congressman Wolf will join Baylor as holder of the Wilson Chair in Religious Freedom.”

    Sic ’em, Frank Wolf!