 Li Shuangping Photo: ChinaAid |
Li Shuangping, pastor of Linfen house church, was abducted, beaten and threatened by government agents on the night of August 13th. While Li was driving to his home in Shanxi province, a man who appeared to be drunk staggered in front of his vehicle, at which point Li stopped. A black sedan pulled up alongside Li, and three men hurried out. The men forcibly seized Li from his vehicle, with help from the man who pretended to be drunk, and dragged him into the sedan. As one man drove, the other three restrained and harassed him in the backseat. After blindfolding him and tying him with a rope, they beat him for the duration of the journey, inflicting noticeable wounds on his head, neck and torso. The driver strayed from the main roads until reaching a cornfield, where the other men pushed Li out of the sedan.
Throughout the journey, one man repeatedly threatened to kill Li for his involvement in the house church. The threats ranged from being tossed in the river to being forced to drink sulfuric acid. The man also threatened to track down and kidnap Li's family. The abducted pastor believes that the assailants work for the local government which has previously targeted him for his involvement with Linfen church.
In 2009, several hundred police officers raided the church, which regularly holds about 50,000 attendants. Bibles and areas of the building were damaged during the raid, and scores of parishioners were violently attacked. Some of the church leaders travelled to Beijing to file a formal complaint, but they were arrested and detained on the way. Li was released in July of 2011, along with several others. More detainees from Linfen church were released later, but some are still in custody, including Yang Rongli, who is serving a seven-year sentence. Learn more about the challenges facing Christians in China at the China Country Report.
Pray that Pastor Li and all those affected by the church raid will draw closer to the Lord and develop greater fervency in prayer. Ask Him to provide protection for these believers and their families, keeping them at peace and free from the spirit of fear. Also pray that the members of the Linfen house church will continue to gather together in fellowship to the glory of God, reaching multitudes more in China with the Gospel... including Li's abductors.
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