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Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang |
At approximately 8:20 a.m., the police stormed the church building and demanded that the prayer meeting be halted. Although the Christians agreed to end the meeting, police proceeded to arrest seventeen of the Christians and had them detained at the local police station.
Pastor Quang's mother-in-law and his 12-year-old son, Huy, were among those who were arrested. Also arrested were a child named Truc (12) and a pregnant woman named Thuong. While detained, some of the women were reportedly grabbed by their hair and some of the Christians were hit and slapped. Huy and Truc were taken into a separate room where they were screamed at and threatened. All of the Christians were released at 5:00 p.m. that evening.
Pastor Quang, a leader in Vietnam's Mennonite Church and an advocate for religious liberty, has been beaten, arrested and imprisoned for his Christian work. More information on Pastor Quang and his detention can be found on VOMC's website. To find a summary of Pastor Quang's story, click here. To view all related VOMC news stories click here. Observers are concerned that this incident may signal a renewed persecution of Vietnam's Church now that there is less international attention on Vietnam due to the U.S.'s removal of the country from its list of the world's worst violators of religious freedom in November.
Thank God for the bold faith of Pastor Quang and his congregation. Pray that they will remain faithful to the task the Lord has given them, knowing that they will receive the crown of life (1 Peter 5:1-4). Pray that Christians in Vietnam will be encouraged to meet together for worship and prayer, in spite of opposition from authorities.
For more information on the persecution of Christians in Vietnam, click here.
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