Beijing Shouwang Church Announcement on July 24th Outdoor Worship Service
Dear brothers and sisters:
Peace in the Lord! On July 24th, Shouwang had her sixteenth Sunday outdoor worship service. Although weather forecast says that there will be heavy rain, many brothers and sisters continue to seek and worship our God with thanksgiving and praise to our Lord Jesus Christ.
July 24th, Beijing, leaden sky with dark clouds in the morning, heavy rain in the afternoon. In the past week, many believers were detained at home since Saturday. One sister was taken to a hotel nearby for detention from Friday night, which has been happening to her for several weeks. As far as we know, at least thirty-five believers were taken away on Sunday morning for going to the planned location to join the service (including Pastor Shuangyan and two other sisters from Xinshu Church, one brother from Shanghai, and one brother from Tianjin). They were then sent to at least twenty-one local police stations of their respective area. Haidian police station even detained two brothers and one sister who were waiting outside. Policemen at Dongsheng police station and Taiyanggong police station prevented believers who were visiting from sending anything to those who were detained. Dongsheng police station even confiscated quilt and other things sent by believers who were visiting. Till midnight of the 24th, only twenty-one believers (including the one who was taken to a hotel on Friday night and the three believers who were detained by Haidian police station while they were visiting) were released home. And the other eighteen believers were still under detention, many of whom were threatened that they would be detained for at least twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Some of them were required to write a statement promising that they would not join the outdoor service any more, and some of them were required to leave their address so that they can be under watch. Till 19:00 pm of the 25th, after way more than twenty-four hours, there were still ten believers were detained in police stations. And the last two sisters, who have been detained for more than forty-eight hours in Big Bell Temple police station, were finally released around 16:00 pm of the 26th (Tuesday).
We thank our Lord for these believers, both of those who were detained inside police stations and those who were waiting outside; they faced the twenty-four to forty-eight hours’ detention with peace. A couple waited outside a police station for the whole night called us in the morning, and told us that they were very joyful. A brother came all the way from Shenzhen, and then went to different police stations to find out believers under detention so that he can accompany them. He said that the cost he paid counts for nothing when it is compared with the persecutions believers suffered inside police stations. It is the strength brought by this kind of peace and joy that enables us to rely on Christ, and to overcome all the external forces and persecutions. For this, we thank our Lord; we trust that there is no force can overcome his Church as we abide in him.
We thank our Lord for opening our hearts; as the outdoor worship service takes longer than we expected, God allows more believers to see the far-reaching significance of it. As the outdoor worship service is becoming a long-term event, it is proved to be a witness rather than a spur of the moment, a strategy or a political means; it witnesses that the Church only worships Christ as her Lord, and that she only belongs to our Lord, but not controlled by any forces or powers. We believe that as believers worship our Lord with an uncompromising stand of belief and a willingful heart to sacrifice, our Lord is pleased. May the Lord continue to use Shouwang Church in this way, to witness him in this generation.
On this Sunday with dark clouds and rainstorm, we got to know about the disaster of bullet train crash in Wenzhou through the Internet. May our Lord have mercy on each person who suffered terror and sorrow in this disaster, on each family who lost their beloved ones in this disaster, and on our country as she is suffering from so many disasters. We particularly come to the seat of the Most High, and make supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings for our fellow citizens and for all who are in high positions of this country, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
Beijing Shouwang Church
07/26/2011
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