Source: www.csw.org.uk
Date: December 4, 2021
We pray that God will pour out his amazing grace afresh on you this advent and always. Thank you for being a faithful member of our prayer team!
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. (Philemon 1:25)
Please join us in praying this verse over the members of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China. This week marks three years since over 100 church members were detained on 9 December 2018 as part of a large-scale crackdown on the church.
The church’s leader, Pastor Wang Yi, is still in prison serving a nine-year sentence.
An update on Pastor Wang Yi
We recently learnt that Jiang Rong, the wife of Pastor Wang Yi, was able to visit her husband in prison for the first time in nearly three years. Jiang found that her husband has been allowed to read and is healthy, although he has lost a lot of weight.
We give thanks for these small blessings, yet continue to pray for strength in Pastor Wang’s mind, body and soul. It is unacceptable that the couple had been separated for so long without a meeting.
Under constant pressure
Meanwhile, the Chinese authorities have continued to exert significant pressure on the remaining members of Early Rain at every opportunity.
For example, pastoral intern Dai Zhichao and another church member were detained for 14 days and fined 1,000 RMB (approximately £116; and about $153.51 USD) after police raided a small group meeting in August. Then in November, a video emerged showing Dai’s family being prevented from leaving their home to go on holiday, while being accused of attending an ‘illegal’ church.
This is just a snapshot of one family’s experience. Please keep covering the whole church in prayer, as well as members of Qingcaodi Church, which was planted by Early Rain and is also facing a crackdown.
In summary, please pray:
- That Pastor Wang Yi will be released and reunited with his wife, immediately and unconditionally.
- That God will strengthen and sustain Pastor Wang Yi, his wife Jiang Rong, and everyone who has been separated from their loved ones by unjust or arbitrary detention.
- That the authorities will cease all harassment of Early Rain Church, Qingcaodi Church and others who are being targeted in China.