By Jim on
Church & Ministry
China
Persecution
Pastor Wang Yi

Editor’s note: Over 100 members of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China, were arrested beginning Sunday, December 9. At the time of publication of this translation, arrests are still being made. Among those taken away were Pastor Wang Yi, senior pastor of Early Rain, and his wife, Jiang Rong, who have not been heard from since Sunday. Foreseeing this circumstance, Pastor Wang Yi wrote the declaration below to be published by his church should he be detained for more than 48 hours. In it he explains the meaning and necessity of faithful disobedience, how it is distinct from political activism or civil disobedience, and how Christians should carry it out. We thank Brent Pinkall and Amy Cheung for their contributions in translating this letter.

Discussion

Sat, 12/15/18

An outspoken Chinese pastor and his wife face up to 15 years in prison after being charged with inciting to subvert state power, a sign that Chinese authorities are intensifying a crackdown on religious groups, one of the most serious in recent decades.

Excerpt:

On Wednesday, the church issued a bulletin saying its leaders would face criminal charges, including illegally operating a business and illegally publishing material. Earlier, the authorities also said the church had violated China’s rules on places of worship, which it must follow to register with the government.

Pictures on social media appeared to show signs of physical abuse on some church members, with some showing bruises, abrasions and their hair pulled out.

But the charge against Mr. Wang and his wife, Jiang Rong, was far more severe than what other leaders face: “inciting subversion of state power,” a catchall charge often used against dissidents and political activists who speak out against the government.

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Jim's Doctrinal Statement