Street Evangelist Rearrested

Chen Wensheng is a street evangelist who has gained a reputation as a "Gospel Warrior" for his evangelistic work. As a result, he has been arrested by the Chinese Communist Party numerous times. (For previous reports, see this page.) When arrested in April 2022, he saw his time in custody as an opportunity to share the Gospel with those at the detention centre. In a social media post published on WeChat, Chen wrote that he was thankful to the Lord for the opportunity to have led 2,067 people to pray to Christ during the past year.

On August 29th, Chen was intercepted by authorities while attempting to board a flight from Shanghai to South Korea. They told the apprehended Christian passenger that representatives from various departments wanted to speak with him. Consequently, Chen was flown back to his hometown of Hengyang, where he had been held for 15 days of administrative detention. Then, on September 18th, he was placed under criminal detention. According to his wife, Chen is being held on suspicion of "organizing and financing illegal gatherings."

Praise God for the ongoing testimony of this faithful spiritual warrior for Christ. Pray that Chen will be strengthened and encouraged as he ministers to fellow prisoners and prison workers while in detention. Please also remember his wife, Mo Xiaoju, in your prayers as she faces the uncertainty of the charges. May God raise up others who are willing and able to help further Chen's ministry in his home community of Hengyang and beyond – reaching many areas throughout China.