(Photo by The Voice of the Martyrs USA)
China (MNN) — The oldest daughter was forced to move because her family’s life was threatened. The youngest daughter was held in a detention center briefly. The family’s home received attacks including the slashing of vehicle tires and the cutting off of internet access.
This is the family of Pastor Zhang Shaojie. Arrested in mid-November, Zhang has been detained for charges of “fraud” and “gathering a mob to disrupt public order.” Many members of the Nanle County Christian Church were imprisoned after protesting his arrest.
The Voice of the Martyrs USA says that Pastor Zhang is scheduled for a criminal trial today.
Among the previously mentioned acts of opposition of the authorities, the church is also prevented from worshipping. Late last month, three of the imprisoned church members were released. One of these women, Zhao Xiping, is still looking for her husband, Wu Guishan, who was taken by authorities when trying to appeal his case. While both parents were imprisoned, their eldest child dropped out of school so she could attempt to find her dad. The youngest was sent to an orphanage.
Zhao’s husband is included in the nine church members who are still in prison today.
While the church seeks to grapple with the awful blow they’ve been dealt, Zhang is still looking for lawyer representation. The situation is tricky because lawyers involved have been beaten and threatened with credential revocation. The situation is the same for the other members of the church as well.
Our brothers and sister of Nanle County Christian Church need our prayers. Pray for strength and encouragement and comfort for Zhang and his family. Pray for perseverance for the church. Pray that God’s will would be done, and that onlookers of the situation would be intrigued by the steadfastness of the Body of Christ.
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May the Holy Spirit soften the hearts of the people who persecute this family . And unite them again in god,s grace
my prayers are going up to Jesus
My prayers are with the Church and the Zhang family. VOM and others who are working on behalf of Christians are needed more than ever as persecution to be epidemic worldwide. Thank God we have social media to spread the word about the plight of our brothers and sisters, along with other means. God bless you for your tireless efforts on behalf of the worldwide Christian community, especially for those who can’t speak out for themselves.
“Dear Lord Jesus, Your chosen ones, those You have raised up to deliver The Gospel to the world, are facing great opposition. Your Written Word commands us to ‘… love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Matthew 5:44’. Lord Jesus, You above all, know how persecution feels. You, Who Are Sinless, suffered beatings and humiliation by those who did not understand. Your Love for humanity is the purest. It will be a wonderful day when all the people upon the earth know You as King of kings and Lord of lords. Your Written Word also tells us, ‘…The harvest is rich, but the workers are few. 38 Pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers to gather in His harvest. Matthew 9:37-38’ Your Great And Mighty Will Be Done in earth as It Is In Heaven. May Your chosen ones be found faithful. As Sha’ul/Paul was zealous for truth and righteousness, lacked understanding of You, I pray that the eyes of these modern-day Sha’uls/Pauls are opened and become great witnesses, also. ‘Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion! Declare His deeds among the people. Psalm 9:11’ Amen. Amen.”