Imprisoned Pastor Fears for His Life

Pastor Gong ShengliangPastor Gong Shengliang told his sisters during a short visit on April 12 that he will not survive much longer if he is not transferred to a different prison. Unable to walk, Gong was carried into the visiting hall by four other prisoners. When one of the sisters asked a guard to explain his injuries, she was told that he had fallen while washing windows. Supposedly Gong was washing the inside of the windows but somehow fell outside of the building.

For the past 411 days, Gong has had his arms and legs in chains. Everywhere he goes, he is accompanied by two guards. When his sisters asked him why he had stopped writing letters, Gong told them, "I don't have the strength to write. When I pick up my pen, there are lots of troubles."

When one of the sisters complained to the prison director, Sun Wenquan, about his injuries, she was told that he was a model prisoner, except that he refuses to denounce his faith or stop praying and preaching. The sisters were told, "He is so into the Bible that he has lost touch with reality."

The Voice of the Martyrs encourages people to contact the Chinese government to protest the treatment of Gong and to request a prison transfer without which he may not survive many more weeks. Contact information for Chinese embassies is available at here.

Letters of encouragement can also be sent to Pastor Gong at:

Gong Shengliang
Prison Section Four Te Yi Hao
Hongshan Prison, Miaoshan Development Zone
Jiangxia District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province
People's Republic of China 430223

Pray for physical healing for Pastor Gong. Pray that the mistreatment will stop. Pray that the Chinese government will listen to international pressure and that Gong will be acquitted of the false charges against him.

For more information on persecution facing Christians in China, click here.

  • Current Ministry Projects

    The Voice of the Martyrs Canada continues to help distribute Bibles to Christians in the country, making it possible for them to have their own printed version of God's Word. Additionally, VOMC works with various mission partners to facilitate a Biblical understanding of persecution and discipleship, while presenting ways to effectively respond and minister within the context of hostility.

    Project Funds: Underground Church, Bible, Relief & Development

  • Country Information

    Population
    1,413,142,846 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Han Chinese (91.1), ethnic minorities (8.9 - includes Zhang, Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai, and other nationalities) (2021 est.)

    Religion (%)
    Folk religion (21.9), Buddhist (18.2), Christian (5.1), Muslim (1.8), Hindu (< 0.1), Jewish (< 0.1), other (0.7 - includes Daoist [Taoist]), unaffiliated (52.1) (2021 est.)

    Leader
    President Xi Jinping (2013)

    Government type
    Communist party-led state

    Legal system
    Based on civil law system; influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems

    Sources: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for China

    Pray that the Gospel will be proclaimed throughout China without government interference so many more names can be added to the Lamb's "Book of Life." May there also be a spirit of unity demonstrated among the country's growing churches, further strengthening existing believers and spurring them on in their ministry service and evangelistic outreach within the country's numerous communities.

China News

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    Chen Wensheng is smiling.
    Chen Wensheng
    Photo: ChinaAid

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  • New Health Concerns for Elder Zhang Chunlei
    Zhang Chunlei with his wife
    Elder Zhang Chunlei and his wife
    Photo: ChinaAid

    Zhang Chunlei is an elder with the Ren'ai Reformed Church in Guiyang, China. He was detained in March 2021 and remained in detention without charge until his trial in November 2022, when he was accused of "inciting subversion of state power." The trial was held in secret, without any witnesses, and a verdict has never been announced since then. In the meantime, Elder Zhang continues to remain imprisoned. (Review previously published reports about this church leader's case.)

  • Persistent Harassment Against Church Deacons
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    Jia Xuewei (right) with his friend, Ding Shuqi
    Photo: ChinaAid

    In 2018, the Early Rain Covenant Church was violently raided by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities, resulting in multiple arrests. Since then, members of the church have continued to face harassment, including a church deacon named Jia Xuewei. Click here for previous reports on Jia's situation.

  • High Security for Trial
    Chen Wensheng is smiling.
    Evangelist Chen Wensheng
    Photo: ChinaAid

    The case of Chen Wensheng was heard by the Hengyang City Shigu District People's Court on April 18th. However, when Chen's relatives and friends arrived that morning to attend the trial, they found about 40 black-clad special force officers guarding the entrance of the court building. In addition, the entire street was blocked off under the pretext of performing a "drill" so that any supporters could be prevented from attending the trial. Despite aggressive actions by the police, Chen's supporters are reported to have demonstrated "patience and calmness."