(Xi’an, Shaanxi Province) On August 20, 2022, Guo Jiuju, the wife of Senior Pastor Lian Changnian of Xi’an Church of Abundance, and Zhang Jun, wife of Pastor Lian Xuliang, sent a prayer request letter to .The letter details the severe persecution from the Shilipu Police Station in Xi’an on the church members.
Around 4:00 P.M. on August 17, the Xi’an Public Security Bureau arrested Pastor Lian Changnian and his wife Guo Jiuju; Pastor Lian Changnian’s son Pastor Lian Xuliang, his wife Zhang Jun and their nine-year-old son; as well as church co-worker Sister Xing Aiping and Fu Juan. The Shilipu Police Station of the Baqiao Branch forcibly searched their homes and took them to the police station in the jurisdiction for interrogation. Even the 9-year-old child was not spared and was taken to the police station. They were sent back home that night but it caused shock and trauma to the child.
The next day around 3:00 P.M. the Shilipu Police Station, led by Police Officer Zhang Haibo, came again and handcuffed six co-workers: Pastor Lian Changnian, Guo Jiuju, Pastor Lian Xuliang, Zhang Jun, Sister Xing Aiping, and Preacher Fu Juan. They were taken to the Church of Abundance to take photos. After taking photos, the Civil Affairs Bureau and the Religious Affairs Bureau announced the charges against them: illegal gathering, illegal fundraising, and illegal venue registration.
In the process of taking pictures, wife of Pastor Lian Changnian, Guo Jiujiu, noticed that her son, Pastor Lian Xuliang, had a large bruise from a beating on the middle of his forehead. His eyes were bloodshot, and there was dried blood in the corner of his eyes. His face mask also had blood streaks. His arms and hands were bruised and swollen. There was undoubtedly physical abuse by these so-called law enforcement officers during their “law enforcement.”
Around 11:00 P.M. on August 18, the Chanbashengtai Public Security Bureau of Xi’an Public Security Bureau designated Pastor Lian Changnian and Pastor Lian Xuliang as suspects of “fraud” and placed them under house arrest based on a “Residential Surveillance Notice in Designated Residence.” However, where they are currently placed under arrest and surveillance is still unknown to their family members.
Sister Xing Aiping, pastors’ wives Mrs. Guo Jiuju and Mrs. Zhang Jun were released and returned home. But the whereabouts of Preacher Fu Juan is unknown, and her husband has not yet received any official written notice of detention.
Beginning on July 20, 2022, the congregants of Church of Abundance have received verbal summons for interviews one after another from the police of Shilipu Police Station in Xi’an City. Some Christians’ homes have been searched and their ordinary lives have been completely disrupted. According to a subpoenaed believer, a police officer named Zhang Haibo used the congregant’s job security and children’s education as threats, demanding him to hand over their church’s finances, to perjure, and to accuse the pastor of defrauding and spreading a cult. He even told them to fabricate false facts and to exaggerate the amount of offerings the church received. Officer Zhang Haibo deceived the subpoenaed believers saying that the pastor paid him 50,000 yuan a month. He also lied to the subpoenaed believers saying that if they claim more offering amount, they will receive back more money. Pastor Lian Changnian and the pastoral staff of Church of Abundance were extremely shocked and deeply worried about the illegal actions of these law enforcement officers. On August 10, Senior Pastor Lian Changnian of Church of Abundance and the pastoral staff issued a public prayer letter revealing some details of the recent police persecution of Church of Abundance.
Lian Changnian’s eldest son, Lian Xuliang, was ordained in the fall of 2021. Lian Xuliang has expressed dissatisfaction with police officer Zhang Haitao’s rude attitude in the process of law enforcement, including rude remarks to his father and his thuggish tactics used to persecute the church. Lian Xuliang announced Zhang Haibo’s name publicly on social media. This may have led to the retaliation from Zhang Haibo, a police officer at Shilipu Police Station, who violently abused Pastor Lian during the crack down on August 18.
On August 19, the Xi’an Civil Affairs Bureau issued an announcement that Xi’an Church of Abundance was officially banned.
The full update and prayer letter from the pastors’ wives is below:
Xi’an Church of Abundance
(Fengsheng) Prayer Request Letter
Dear brothers and
sisters in the Lord,
At about 4:00 p.m. on
August 17, Xi’an Public Security Bureau
arrested three sets of people: Pastor Lian Changnian and his wife Guo
Jiuju; Pastor Lian Changnian’s son Pastor Lian Xuliang, his wife Zhang Jun and
their nine-year-old son; as well as church co-worker Sister Xing Aiping and Fu
Juan. The Shilipu Police Station of the Baqiao Branch forcibly searched their
homes and took them to the police station in the jurisdiction for
interrogation. Even the 9-year-old child was not spared and was taken to the
police station, causing shock and trauma to the child.
At about 3:00 p.m. on
August 18, the Shilipu Police Station, led by Police Officer Zhang Haibo, separately
handcuffed our six co-workers (Pastor Lian Changnian and his wife Guo Jiuju,
Pastor Lian Xuliang and his wife Zhang Jun, Sister Xing Aiping, and preacher Fu
Juan) and took them to Church of Abundance (Fengsheng) to take photos. After
taking photos, the Civil Affairs Bureau and the Religious Affairs Bureau
announced the charges against them: illegal gathering, illegal fundraising, and
illegal venue registration. In the process of taking pictures, I saw with my own
eyes that Pastor Lian Xuliang had a large bruise from a beating on the middle
of his forehead. His eyes were bloodshot, and there was dried blood in the
corner of his eyes. His face mask also had blood streaks. His arms and hands
were bruised and swollen. There was undoubtedly physical abuse by these
so-called law enforcement officers during their “law enforcement.”
Around 23:00 on August
18, sister Xing Aiping, Pastors’ wives Mrs. Guo Jiuju and Mrs. Zhang Jun were
released and returned home. The whereabouts of Preacher Fu Juan is unknown, and
her husband has not yet received any official written notice of detention.
At the same time, the
Chanbashengtai Public Security Bureau of Xi’an Public Security Bureau
designated Pastor Lian Changnian and Pastor Lian Xuliang as suspects of “fraud”
and placed them under house arrest based on “Residential Surveillance
Notice in Designated Residence.” However, where they are currently placed
under arrest and surveillance is still unknown to their family members.
Since its
establishment 30 years ago, Xian Church of Abundance has strictly followed the
teachings of the Bible to practice faith, to love God, love the motherland,
love neighbors, and abide by the laws of the country. In accordance with the
Bible and Christian traditions, we meet at home, interpret the Bible, and
believers voluntarily donate at the meetings according to the teachings of the
Bible. The donations are managed by co-workers and special personnel. The
financial affairs are open and transparent, and are used for the church and
social welfare. The pastor does not even handle any money or accounts, so how
can he cheat? Who gave the police the power to wantonly trample on the freedom
of belief granted to citizens by the Constitution, enforce the law violently,
injure pastors, confiscate church donations, and imprison house church pastors
on so-called “fraud charges”?
Brothers and sisters,
please pray for the following:
1. Pray for the
country and the nation. May righteousness be manifested in the land of Shenzhou.
Pray that injustice will cease. Pray for the law enforcement officers, that
they may stop their illegal acts of falsely accusing and violently extorting
confessions. Pray that they will return the seized church property and private
property.
2. Pray for Pastors
Lian Changnian, Pastor Lian Xuliang, and Preacher Fu Juan who are still in
custody. We ask God to strengthen their faith, to take care of their bodies and
minds, so that they can keep their faith, suffer for the Lord with joy, and return
to us as soon as possible.
3. Pray for Pastor
Lian Xuliang’s nine-year-old son. He was taken to the police station together
with his grandparents and his parents at a young age. He was then taken to the
meeting place to witness the whole process of being forced to take pictures
with his grandparents and parents in handcuffs. May God comfort and sooth the
frightened and traumatized young mind!
4. Pray for Mrs. Guo
Jiuju, Mrs. Zhang Jun, Preacher Fu Juan and her husband, Liu Linfei. May God
give them peace of mind and look towards God’s mercy with full confidence.
5. Pray for the
brothers and sisters of Church of Abundance who have been summoned, threatened,
and questioned many times. We ask God to strengthen their faith, comfort and heal
them, and bring them out of the shadows.
6. Pray for every
family member of Church of Abundance in Xi’an. May God give them abundant grace
to weather the storm of persecution against the church.
Xi’an Church of Abundance: Pastors’ Wives Mrs. Guo Jiuju and Mrs. Zhang Jun and the congregation
August 20, 2022 23:35 PM