Christians Detained in China

A house church elder in Guizhou Province, China, detained since 2021 without a proper trial or verdict, has now been sentenced to five years in prison. Zhang Chunlei suffers from cholecystitis (gall bladder inflammation) and liver cirrhosis, but has been denied bail. His congregation in Guiyang was banned in 2018 from meeting together and has suffered repeated persecution. Arrested in 2021, the leader of Guiyang Ren’ai Reformed Church was tried in 2022, but has awaited sentencing ever since. Now charged with “inciting subversion of state power” by leading an unregistered church, and “fraud” because church members gave offerings and tithes, Elder Zhang will not be released until March 2026. (July 30, Church in Chains)

Last Sunday, more than 20 police raided a banned house church gathering in Chengdu and detained Elder Li Yingqiang, Preacher Wu Wuqing, Elder Li Youhong and Deputy Deacon Zeng Qingtao. Despite the raid and their leaders’ arrest, worshippers continued to sing quietly and pray. When they were told to stop, they left quietly and sought another location to continue worship and prayer. The Early Rain Covenant Church is a large, unregistered church that has endured intense persecution since 2018, when more than 150 were detained. Their lead pastor, Wang Yi, is serving nine years in prison. (September 5, CIC)

“This is persecution because of our faith, something that every Christian who holds fast to pure faith will encounter, and it’s also an opportunity God gives us to earn rewards!

“I don’t want brothers and sisters to feel anger or resentment when they see this message. Instead, I hope brothers and sisters can kneel down and pray for us, asking God to have mercy on us, so that in such circumstances, we can overcome all this by God’s grace! When you pray for us, it shows that you identify with the hardships we are experiencing as your own hardships, that you are suffering with us! We will surely share in glory in the future! Amen!”

Preacher Wu Wuqing of ERCC in Chengdu, China (August 8, CIC)

A prayer letter passed from house church to house church says Xin Ruoyu of Guangzhou Province was detained by police in Shandong in late July for developing an app that offers abundant worship music in Chinese, as well as sermons from around the world and Bible readings in many languages. (September 3, CIC)

Pastor Lian Changnian, his son Pastor Lian Xuliang and a co-worker, Fu Juan were detained in 2022, when their house church in Xi’an was raided. This year, they were each sentenced to five years of prison. During their first six months, they reportedly endured various forms of torture, but have now been moved to a different facility, where their conditions have improved. (August 28, CIC)

Pastors Li Jie and Han Xiaodong, as well as another church worker, Wang Qiang, of a house church in Linfen, Shanxi Province, were detained in 2022. Their case has yet to be brought to trial. (August 13, CIC)

Pastor John Cao, 64, detained in 2017 upon return to China from a humanitarian trip to Myanmar, was released in March after completing his seven-year sentence, but has not been allowed to leave Changsha, Hunan Province, because authorities will not give him an ID card or passport. A resident of North Carolina, he cannot join his wife and children there because the police told him they plan to “educate” him for five years. He currently resides with his mother, and surveillance cameras watch them constantly. (July 3, CIC)

Zhou Sirui, a young woman from a Beijing house church gathering raided in July, was detained along with others who were released. But a week later, no word had reached her family of her whereabouts. Zion Church was banned in 2018, and members have had to move venues for their gatherings ever since to evade police. (July 24, CIC)

Lord, please have mercy on Zhang Chunlei, Li Yingqiang, Wu Wuqing, Li Youhong, Zeng Qingtao, Wang Yi, Xin Ruoyu, Lian Changnian, Lian Xuliang, Fu Juan, Li Jie, Han Xiaodong, Wang Qiang, John Cao, Zhou Sirui, and all Christians held prisoner and suffering greatly for their love for You. Draw near to them and let them feel You close and hear Your voice comforting, strengthening, healing, and empowering them in the midst of persecution. Provide for their freedom in Your timing and in Your way. Anoint every Christian to speak boldly as Paul did, sharing Your Good News even in the face of much danger. Give all those around them such a hunger for Your love that every wall against You crumbles and they run into Your open arms. Turn around all efforts to silence or persecute Christians into the opposite. Bring forth a great revival in China. For every Christian who is persecuted, bring thousands of lost people to Christ. For every church that is closed, plant thousands more. Awaken every heart to You. As people fear for their future, show them Heaven. As they fear for their finances, show them the riches of Your love. As they fear for their children, show them You are Father, Protector, Healer, Comforter, Guardian and Guide. Bring Your Kingdom near now to every heart in China. Give those in authority dreams and visions from You. Place Bibles in their hands, together with a deep hunger to read Your Word, and connect them through internet or in other ways to Your Good News in their heart language. Make a way for every person in authority to know the Truth that sets them free, and give them courage to lay down everything they’ve been clinging to that is not You and bow before the One True God. Lift the veil from their eyes so they will see You as You truly are. Be so loud and up-in-their-face they can’t deny that You are real. Let them see Your angel armies protecting the innocent. Let them see Your miraculous power intervening in situations where Christians are in danger. Let them see You heal the sick, make the lame walk and the blind see. Let them see You at work so fiercely, roaring in their face, O Lion of Judah, that they will release innocent captives, repent of oppression, corruption and abuse, and turn to You as Lord. 

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