Wife of Imprisoned Elder Begs for Prayer

Qin Defu, wife, two children - Photo: Facebook / Pray for Early Rain Covenant Church
Elder Qin Defu with his wife and children.
Photo: Facebook / Pray for
Early Rain Covenant Church

In December 2018, raids on the Early Rain Covenant Church resulted in the detention of more than 100 Christians. All have since been released except for Pastor Wang Yi, who is serving a nine-year sentence, and elder Qin Defu, who was sentenced to four years in prison for "illegal business operations." For previous written reports on Qin's case and the difficulties faced by other members of Early Rain Covenant Church, go to this page.

Qin's wife, Xiao Hongliu, has written a letter, pleading for fellow Christians to remember her family in their prayers. Below is that letter:

Dear brothers and sisters,

My name is Xiao Hongliu, I am Qin Defu's wife. I am begging for intercessory prayers for my family and me.

Defu has been in jail for more than six months. I had received his phone calls from the jail at the beginning of his sentence. Although the calls were only two or three minutes long, as long as I could hear his voice, I knew he was safe and alive.

Although I could not see him personally, I knew he was alive somewhere, where God could see him. However, since the end of March, I have not received his calls anymore. I have lost contact with him for more than 70 days, which makes my heart worry.

My reasoning makes me believe he is still alive, and that God is with him. However, not hearing from him is like an enemy. It hurts me so much that I suffer every day.

Normally, my husband would be managing the church, busy before and after, and I would merely hope for him to return home a bit earlier each night. Now my hope is causing me pain. Every day, I just want to receive one three-minute call from him, but this apparently has become an extravagant hope.

Dear God, please let me follow behind You, pulling on the hem of Your clothes, because I am no better off than the woman who suffered from a blood issue for 12 years.

I know my weakness, so I am begging for my brothers and sisters to pray for me and Qin Defu.

God, please, out of charity, give us mercy. We are so lowly we cannot bear it!

Qin's wife

According to Bob Fu, founder of ChinaAid, the Chinese church is facing a level of persecution not seen since the Cultural Revolution when under the leadership of Chairman Mao. Greg Musselman spoke with Bob Fu about the reasons behind the increase of persecution. To view the full-length version of this informative video interview, go to this page.

As we ponder the heart-wrenching pleas of Xiao Hongliu, may our hearts be stirred to lift up our voices of prayerful petition together with hers. May the Lord touch the many Christians who are imprisoned for their faith, as well as their loved ones who miss them terribly and fear for their safety. Pray that Qin will experience God's protection and be granted permission from prison officials to contact his concerned family soon. Remember the millions of Christians throughout China who are facing uncertainties and danger because of the policies posed by President Xi's harsh regime.

  • Current Ministry Projects

    The Voice of the Martyrs Canada continues to help distribute Bibles to Christians in the country, making it possible for them to have their own printed version of God's Word. Additionally, VOMC works with various mission partners to facilitate a Biblical understanding of persecution and discipleship, while presenting ways to effectively respond and minister within the context of hostility.

    Project Funds: Underground Church, Bible, Relief & Development

  • Country Information

    Population
    1,413,142,846 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Han Chinese (91.1), ethnic minorities (8.9 - includes Zhang, Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai, and other nationalities) (2021 est.)

    Religion (%)
    Folk religion (21.9), Buddhist (18.2), Christian (5.1), Muslim (1.8), Hindu (< 0.1), Jewish (< 0.1), other (0.7 - includes Daoist [Taoist]), unaffiliated (52.1) (2021 est.)

    Leader
    President Xi Jinping (2013)

    Government type
    Communist party-led state

    Legal system
    Based on civil law system; influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems

    Sources: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for China

    Pray that the Gospel will be proclaimed throughout China without government interference so many more names can be added to the Lamb's "Book of Life." May there also be a spirit of unity demonstrated among the country's growing churches, further strengthening existing believers and spurring them on in their ministry service and evangelistic outreach within the country's numerous communities.

China News

  • Chen Wensheng Sentenced to 19 Months
    Chen Wensheng is smiling.
    Chen Wensheng
    Photo: ChinaAid

    Chen Wensheng is no stranger to arrests and police intimidation. A radically reformed former drug addict, the Christian evangelist has travelled throughout China to share his testimony, gaining the nickname of "Gospel Warrior." (See these other reports about this faithful believer.)

  • New Health Concerns for Elder Zhang Chunlei
    Zhang Chunlei with his wife
    Elder Zhang Chunlei and his wife
    Photo: ChinaAid

    Zhang Chunlei is an elder with the Ren'ai Reformed Church in Guiyang, China. He was detained in March 2021 and remained in detention without charge until his trial in November 2022, when he was accused of "inciting subversion of state power." The trial was held in secret, without any witnesses, and a verdict has never been announced since then. In the meantime, Elder Zhang continues to remain imprisoned. (Review previously published reports about this church leader's case.)

  • Persistent Harassment Against Church Deacons
    Ding Shuqi and Jia Xuewei
    Jia Xuewei (right) with his friend, Ding Shuqi
    Photo: ChinaAid

    In 2018, the Early Rain Covenant Church was violently raided by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities, resulting in multiple arrests. Since then, members of the church have continued to face harassment, including a church deacon named Jia Xuewei. Click here for previous reports on Jia's situation.

  • High Security for Trial
    Chen Wensheng is smiling.
    Evangelist Chen Wensheng
    Photo: ChinaAid

    The case of Chen Wensheng was heard by the Hengyang City Shigu District People's Court on April 18th. However, when Chen's relatives and friends arrived that morning to attend the trial, they found about 40 black-clad special force officers guarding the entrance of the court building. In addition, the entire street was blocked off under the pretext of performing a "drill" so that any supporters could be prevented from attending the trial. Despite aggressive actions by the police, Chen's supporters are reported to have demonstrated "patience and calmness."