[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 117 (Tuesday, September 17, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1580-E1581]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         IN MEMORY OF STEVEN SNYDER, CHAMPION OF THE PERSECUTED

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 17, 2002

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, on August 27, 2002, one of the leading 
advocates for the persecuted passed away. His name was Rev. Steven 
Snyder and I knew him well. Steve cared as much as anyone I know for 
the persecuted. His efforts and labor on behalf of the voiceless and 
the persecuted, raised awareness of cases and problems in far away 
places that few would have known without his voice. Mr. Speaker, I will 
insert following these remarks an article from the Washington Times 
which describes how Steve made such a difference with his life.
  Steven was the founder and president of International Christian 
concern, an organization dedicated to raise awareness of and to 
advocate for the plight of persecuted Christians around the world. 
Prior to founding International Christian Concern, Steve was the 
director of Christian Solidarity International, where he also was a 
strong and vocal advocate for the persecuted.
  Steve was a pioneer in exposing to the world the horrible persecution 
and brutality that is occurring to people just because of their 
religious beliefs. Steve's efforts and his voice resounded in the halls 
of power throughout the world. His advocacy and speaking out on the 
persecuted, influenced Members of Congress and government officials 
from around the world to intervene and become involved in what would 
have otherwise been unknown issues.
  In order to see and learn first-hand of persecution, Steve risked his 
life many times by personally traveling to very dangerous parts of the 
world, where he not only was a witness to human rights abuses, but 
where he also brought hope and love to the suffering.
  Steve was a remarkable man who did incredible things in his 53 years 
for the suffering all over the world. Steve will be sorely missed. He 
deserves the words from Matthew 25, ``Well done, good and faithful 
servant.''
  We send our condolences to his wife Connie and four children Sarah de 
Vuyst, Lori Slaubaugh, Joshua Snyder and Sean Snyder.

          [lsqb]From the Washington Times, Aug. 29, 2002[rsqb]

         Snyder Dies at 53; Advocated Christian Freedom Abroad

                           (By Larry Witham)

       The Rev. Steven L. Snyder, a tireless global traveler and 
     advocate for voiceless Christians abroad who faced religious 
     persecution under communist and Islamic regimes, died Monday 
     night of an infection. He was 53.

[[Page E1581]]

       The evangelical minister, a native of the San Diego area, 
     began his advocacy work as the U.S. director of Christian 
     Solidarity International, which in the 1980s focused on 
     persecution under communism. In 1995, he founded 
     International Christian Concern to extend the work to Islamic 
     countries.
       The Silver Spring resident and father of four was 
     acknowledged yesterday as a pioneer voice on the topic of 
     Christian persecution when it was not high on Washington's 
     human rights agenda.
       Mr. Snyder also took risks to penetrate such countries as 
     Sudan, Vietnam, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, China and 
     Pakistan to bring out accurate information, documents and 
     video footage of underground churches or persecuted 
     minorities.
       ``He was a faithful servant of people persecuted for their 
     faith,'' said U.S. Ambassador at Large for Religious Liberty 
     John V. Hanford III, who had met and worked with Mr. Snyder 
     in 1985. ``He stayed with it despite the constant 
     discouragement that comes with human rights work.''
       ``Steven labored in this vineyard long before the movement 
     against persecution captured the imagination of 
     evangelicals,'' said the Rev. Richard Cizik, Washington 
     director of the National Association of Evangelicals. ``What 
     a faithful friend he was of the persecuted.''
       Friends and human-rights workers who knew Mr. Snyder noted 
     his on-the-ground work, desire to highlight those who 
     suffered rather than himself, and a kind of perpetual sad 
     look in his eyes from seeing such grim events abroad--and so 
     little interest at home.
       ``When not many people cared about this issue, he worked at 
     it faithfully and strenuously,'' said Paul Marshall, a 
     scholar of religion with Freedom House. ``He didn't just 
     report, he went to dangerous places. He did his research with 
     his boots on.''
       Dr. David Harding, a family physician who is on the six-
     member board of International Christian Concern, traveled to 
     Indonesia with Mr. Snyder in November to provide medical aid 
     to Christians being persecuted by Muslims on the island of 
     Sulawesi.
       ``Steven is going to be very difficult to replace,'' Dr. 
     Harding said. ``He made every effort to get the facts right, 
     and he had a way of finding all the right people and getting 
     at the truth of a situation.''
       Pat Bradley, a St. Louis businessman who first met Mr. 
     Snyder in 1999, recalls their two-week fact-finding tip to 
     Sudan in February 2000.
       ``For two days we drove into the south from Uganda on what 
     we thought was the bumpiest road in the world, until we got 
     to Sudan's roads,'' Mr. Bradley said. ``Between us we had 
     seen bad places, but by far this was the worst.''
       It was 105-degree bush country, he said. ``These people had 
     literally nothing. No food or clothing. They were victims of 
     a scorched-earth policy, and some were tortured.''
       On return from Sudan in 2000, Mr. Snyder drafted a detailed 
     report for Capitol Hill and the State Department, and made it 
     available to news organizations.
       During a trip to China in 1999, Mr. Snyder brought in 
     Bibles and met with leaders of the underground church. Some 
     of the people who went to hear his presentations remember the 
     vivid images and footage he brought back of nighttime river 
     baptisms.
       Staff at the State Department yesterday also took the news 
     with sorrow. One staffer asked a reporter whether Mr. Snyder 
     had worked at State because everybody knew him.
       ``Steve was a foot soldier for religious freedom,'' said 
     Tom Phar, director of international religious liberty at the 
     State Department. ``He traveled the world working on behalf 
     of people being persecuted for their faith. He was an 
     effective advocate and a good friend.''
       On Monday afternoon, Mr. Snyder was rushed to the Holy 
     Cross Hospital emergency room with a high fever, and friends 
     recall that because the diagnosis was severe he asked them to 
     ``pray for a miracle.'' He did about 7:45 p.m.
       Mr. Snyder lost his spleen in an operation six years ago, 
     and doctors said that weakened his ability to fight the 
     infection, which rapidly taxed his entire system.
       He is survived by his wife, Connie Snyder of Silver Spring, 
     and four children: Sarah de Vuyst of Ukraine; Lori Slaubaugh 
     of Rollin, N.D.; Joshua Snyder of Boulder, Colo.; and Sean, 
     16.
       Visitations may be made tomorrow from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 
     7 to 9 p.m. at Collins Funeral Home at 500 University Blvd. 
     W. in Silver Spring. A funeral service will be held 10 a.m. 
     Saturday at Immanuel's Church at 16819 New Hampshire Ave. in 
     Silver Spring.
       In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations ``to 
     help the persecuted church'' be sent to International 
     Christian Concern, 2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Box 941, 
     Washington, DC 20006-1846.

     

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