China: Pastor subject to government harassment since release from prison
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Chinese government authorities in Zhejiang province are continuing to harass and threaten a house church pastor who was released from a prison sentence in December 2015, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. China ranks 17 on the US Open Door Watch List 2022 of top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Pastor Huang Yizi, who leads the Fengwo Tang Church in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, was jailed twice for his opposition to the government’s removal of thousands of crosses in 2014, ICC said.
However, despite being currently free, Pastor Huang said in a prayer request letter last year that the police continue to surveillance, summon and detain him. His online sermons have also been deleted.
According to a website statement by the Open Doors Christian advocacy group: “Surveillance in China is among the most oppressive and sophisticated in the world. Church attendance is rigorously monitored, and many churches are being closed down—whether they are independent or belong to the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (the officially state-sanctioned Protestant church in China).
Stating he believes he will be imprisoned for the third time, and asking for prayer for God’s mercy, Pastor Huang added that he is ready to go to jail for the sake of the Gospel. He said he was reminded of Paul’s teaching in his letter to the Romans: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19).
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