On January 17th, five Chinese Christians who had been charged with "illegal business operations" were convicted and sentenced to prison. Pastor Deng Yanxiang received a sentence of two years' imprisonment, while the other four believers were given sentences ranging from 14 to 17 months.
All five of these followers of Jesus had been distributing Christian literature, charging a small fee to cover costs. As a result, the believers were accused of running an illegal business. In China, this is one of several charges commonly used against those belonging to unregistered house churches.
Because Pastor Deng has already served 18 months in prison on these charges, the Christian leader is scheduled to be released in May of this year. Details on the release of the other detained believers are not immediately available. To read a previously published report on the situation facing these imprisoned church members, go to this page.
- Ask the Lord to strengthen, encourage and meet the daily needs of Pastor Deng and the many other believers who are currently being imprisoned for their Christian faith and practices in China.
- In spite of ongoing opposition from the authorities, pray that our Christian brothers and sisters will continue to faithfully reach out to those around them with the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Pray that the Holy Spirit will convict the nation's Communist officials, stirring their hearts to the point of repentance and leading them to surrender their lives to Christ.
Population
