Zhang Boli’s 2021 Wilberforce Award congratulatory speech for ChinaAid recipient—Bob Fu

Bob Fu, recipient of 2021 Wilberforce Award.
(Photo: Wilberforce)
(Fort Worth, TX—May 24, 2021) On May 22 in Fort Worth, Texas, Zhang Boli* presented the 2021 Wilberforce Award congratulatory speech to Bob Fu, PhD, founder and president of ChinaAid.

Zhang Boli’s speech at the 2021 Wilberforce Award ceremony:

… I am very honored to be invited to present the prize to Brother Bob Fu, the winner of the “2021 Wilberforce Prize.”
Brother Bob Fu is a good friend of mine, my former comrade-in-arms of the Tiananmen Democratic Movement and my current brother in the Lord! He is an outstanding Chinese Christian leader who loves God and people, and he is also an outstanding religious freedom activist.
Congratulations to him for winning this award…. I still don’t understand why the Colson Center invited me to present the “Wilberforce Award,” which represents the highest honor in the world! I am deeply humbled!
Thirty-two years ago today, in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, Bob Fu and I were ready to rush into the square at any time when the Chinese Communist army and tanks entered the Square. We stood together before the massacre. At that time, we were classmates, comrades-in-arms, and witnesses of the Beijing Massacre!
Thirty-two years later, on this podium today, Bob Fu and I are standing together again. Now we are brothers in the Lord, disciples of Jesus Christ! This is the grace of God! Glory to the Lord!
After the Beijing Massacre 32 years ago, God’s love and salvation fell upon us. Bob Fu and I became disciples of Jesus Christ successively! We passed through the valley of the shadow of death, and come to the green pastures of the Lord’s love.
Twenty years ago, Bob Fu and I were recommended by the same mentor, Zhao Tianen (Jonathan Chao), the devoted servant of God , and entered the seminary successively. After graduation, we were ordained as pastors.
In the past, we thought that democracy and freedom were the only way out for China. Today we know that only the love of Jesus Christ and the Gospel of Jesus are the only way out for China!
Because of God’s grace, many of our twenty-one Tiananmen student leaders wanted by the Chinese government have become disciples of the Lord Jesus, such as Chai Ling, Zhou Fengsuo, Xiong Yan, Zhang Boli, etc., as well as Fang Zheng, whose legs were crushed by tanks, and many other June 4th survivors… We are all like Bob Fu—from Tiananmen Square comrades to disciples of the Lord Jesus!

 

Hallelujah, glory to the Lord!
Praise the Lord! During the past thirty years, we have experienced and witnessed the advancement of the Gospel in China! The Chinese church has grown at a rate of thirty, sixty, and one hundred times. However, in the history of the development of the Chinese church, many disciples of Christ gave their lives for their faith. They are Watchman Nee, Wang Zhiming, Lin Zhao and many other martyrs in heaven!
Today, there are still tens of millions of Christians in China who do not have freedom of religious beliefs and freedom to gather. Many people have been missing, imprisoned, and lost their freedom because of their beliefs: Pastor Wang Yi, Pastor Cao Sanqiang, Sister Zhang Zhan, Gao Zhisheng and Brother Wang Bingzhang, and thousands of Christians who suffer for the Lord—the free world should not forget their names!
In order to help those who are persecuted because of their beliefs, our dear brother Bob Fu established the China Aid Association in 2002 to speak out for the persecuted Chinese Christians!
Bobfu is doing his best to help those Christians who have been persecuted by the Chinese government and those in Xinjiang and Tibet who have lost their freedom because of their beliefs.
Bob Fu is practicing the teaching of Jesus: give a cup of cold water to the little ones to drink! Be their good friends and help them out of danger!
Bob Fu cares about those who have lost their freedom in prison like the Dr. Colson I respect:
Bob Fu is the listener of their suffering stories,

 

Bob Fu is their friend, teacher, and helper,

 

Bob Fu brings the love and Gospel of Jesus to people in distress,

 

Bob Fu has practiced the Lord Jesus’ teachings of righteousness, compassion, and humility to walk with the Lord!
Bob Fu is like a Chinese Chuck Colson!
On August 25, 2000, at the World View Conference hosted by my dear friend Bill Redmond, the former Congressman, I was honored to meet beloved Dr. Colson. We shared at the conference, calling on Christians to shine for the Lord in this dark age!
I love Dr. Colson very, very much, his life story and his books. His “Story of the World View” is my textbook at our seminary!
We have followed a very similar life path: going to jail for our ideals, repenting and believing in the Lord, giving ourselves, and preaching the gospel! We are all graced sinners, and it is the salvation of Jesus Christ that brings us from death to life!
I remember that my Dr. Colson came to the stage and hugged me after hearing my message:

 

He gave me a lot of encouragement:

 

He said he had read my book: “Escape from China,”

 

He said he saw the story of my escape and imprisonment in Siberia
of the former Soviet Union.

 

He said that this reminded him of a group of prisoners in the Siberian prison.

 

They wrote to him and he said they were his friends!

 

He said I was his friend too,

 

those who are persecuted are his friends, because Jesus is their friend…
Today, at this special moment, I, like you, miss Dr. Colson in heaven. He is a good servant of Jesus, our respected teacher, dear friend and brother!
Today, my dear Brother Bob Fu is continuing to practice the great “Wilberforce” spirit and the vision and mission of dear Dr. Colson!
Bobfu is being a friend of those who are persecuted, abandoned, poor, and forgotten! Because Jesus is also their friend!
I hereby appeal to the people of the free world:
Please continue to support the ministry of Bob Fu and China Aid Association!
Please continue to pay attention to China’s deteriorating religious freedom environment!
Please don’t forget those people in China and the world who have lost their freedom for their beliefs!
Congratulations again to my dear friend Bob Fu for winning the “Wilberforce Award” and continuing Chuck Colson’s spiritual legacy!

 

Glory to God!
May God bless America!

 

May God bless China!

 

May God bless you all!

 

*Reverend Zhang Boli, renowned Chinese Church leader, also Tiananmen Square movement leader

###
And whoever gives one of these little ones 
only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, 
assuredly, I [Jesus] say to you, 
he shall by no means lose his reward.
                                                                             ~ Matthew 10:42 (NKJV)

China Aid exposes abuses in order to stand in solidarity with the persecuted and promote religious freedom, human rights, and rule of law. If you wish to partner with us in helping those persecuted by the Chinese government, please click the button below to make a charitable donation.


ChinaAid Media Team
Cell: +1 (432) 553-1080 | Office: +1 (432) 689-6985 | Other: +1 (888) 889-7757
Email: [email protected]
For more information, click here

News
Read more ChinaAid stories
Click Here
Write
Send encouraging letters to prisoners
Click Here
Previous slide
Next slide

Send your support

Fight for religious freedom in China

Zhang Boli’s 2021 Wilberforce Award congratulatory speech for ChinaAid recipient—Bob Fu

News
Read more ChinaAid stories
Click Here
Write
Send encouraging letters to prisoners
Click Here
Previous slide
Next slide

Send your support

Fight for religious freedom in China

Scroll to Top