Source: www.ChinaAid.org
Date: November 10, 2020
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| Police vehicles regularly parked near Liu Xiaoqiong’s father’s place. (Photo: ChinaAid) |
(Chengdu, Sichuan Province—November 10, 2020) Recently, state security officers sieged the home of the father of Liu Xiaoqiong, a renowned Chengdu female human rights activist, to sabotage the elderly man’s hope of following Christ in baptism. Ms. Liu’s father, not a congregant of Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC), nor a professing Christian, recently revealed to his daughter that before he passes away, he wants to be a Christian. He hopes to be selected by Jesus, be blessed by God, and be baptized as Jesus directed Believers, he said.
In attempts to destroy the hopes of Ms. Liu’s father, Chengdu state security department officials dispatched police vehicles to the place the elderly man lives. Officers stake out this area 24 hours each day trying to intimidate pastors and bar them from baptizing Ms. Liu’s father. Chinese government officials continue to use similar tactics in efforts to sabotage the ministry of ERCC. Ms. Liu said that in the past, her 90-year-old father followed the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) most of his life. He watched China Central Television (CCTV), a Chinese public service broadcast, every day. He read the Party’s newspaper, and would become angry if he heard someone criticize the CCP. For years, Ms. Liu’s father resolutely resisted the Christian faith. In the past few years, Ms. Liu said, her father began to change as he became ill with a debilitating disease. Now, he has to lie in bed each day. During this difficult time for Ms. Liu’s father, Brothers and Sisters of ERCC regularly visit and sing hymns for him. In response, he cried and said that he wants to be a Christian. He hopes to follow Jesus in baptism. At this point, however, the presence of police stationed at the door of his home every day threatens pastors who would baptize him that they risk authorities detaining them. Activists familiar with police tactics report that in this instance, officials are carrying out their siege to intimidate pastors, hoping they will not baptize Ms. Liu’s 90-year-old father. Ultimately, if authorities succeed in their plan, the hope of a 90-year-old desiring to follow Jesus in baptism will die with him.
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| Patrol car regularly parked near Liu Xiaoqiong’s father’s place. (Photo: ChinaAid) |
Meantime, Ms. Liu’s 90-year-old father continues to live with hope….Michael, ChinaAid Association Special Reporter
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