Photo: ChinaAid
On the morning of July 17th, several Christians from the Xuan'en Church in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, were gathered for a Bible study when the meeting was suddenly interrupted by a raid. The intruding officials, who were sent by multiple agencies, recorded the names and phone numbers of the attending Christians and ordered them to end the meeting – based on the grounds that they are not part of the government-sanctioned Three-Self church. Since this was considered a first offence, the believers were issued a warning.
Two days later, Preacher Zhang Jiale and his wife, Ran Yilian, were taken to the local police station where they were held for 12 hours before being released. Preacher Zhang has frequently encountered opposition from police over the past two years due to his consistent support for other persecuted churches, including members of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu. (For reports addressing other cases of persecution in China, and/or to view recorded podcasts, go to our country profile.)
Following the raid on July 17th, Preacher Zhang sent out a pastoral letter to his congregation, which included the following statement:
"Dear brothers and sisters of Xuan'en Church, this world wants us to submit to it, to bow down to it, and even the little worship space we have left is to be taken away. This makes us deeply understand Christ's words: 'Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.' Our Lord, for our sake, came to the world He created and was deprived of everything. The path He walked, shall we not walk it? The cup He drank, shall we refuse it?"
Pray that the members of this church in Hohhot will stand firm on the foundation of Christ and the salvation He lovingly offers all peoples through His sacrificial death on the cross. May these believers be greatly encouraged, comforted and strengthened by the assurance that the Lord not only understands their sufferings – weeping alongside them – but that He also promises to provide for their every need.... May this include being inspired with creative ways to continue meeting together for worship, Bible study and prayer – without any further interference from the authorities.
Population
