The Xunsiding Church in Xiamen, China, has faced regular harassment from local governing authorities. After the church was officially shut down in 2019, congregation members continued to meet in homes and rental facilities. In April 2021, a service held in the Pacific Rim Hotel was raided by the police and the identities of everyone present had been recorded. (Further details about this raid are available here.)
On August 13th, a public hearing was held to determine the administrative punishment of the church's pastor, Yang Xibo, along with his wife, Wang Xiaofei. The pastoring couple received official notice that the Religious Affairs Bureau intended to fine Pastor Yang almost $40,000 CAD and Wang almost $20,000 CAD.
The hearing lasted two-and-a-half hours. Throughout this time, the couple were forced to defend themselves as their lawyer could not attend due to the pandemic. Members of the church waited expectantly outside the building. After the conclusion of the court session, Pastor Yang announced, "The hearing went well, but the Religious Affairs Bureau does not plan to change anything."
Please pray that God's provision and grace will be extended to Pastor Yang and his wife Wang. May the charges against them be dropped and the hefty fines of the bureau be cancelled, allowing this Christian couple to continue serving the Lord without the threat of further harassment from governing authorities. Pray that the leaders of the Xunsiding Church will be given wisdom and discernment as they seek God's direction concerning their Christian community.
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