Pilgrim's Progress: The Mayflower Church's Journey




Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, also known as the Mayflower Church, continues to exhaust its legal options for asylum in South Korea. If the South Korean government continues to reject them, they may be forced to go back to China where they will face harsh punishment. However, ChinaAid encourages fellow believers to pray for the exiled church and write to them. 

 



Recently, the threat of forcible repatriation has increased. The Chinese government has attempted to utilize technology to locate the Mayflower Church. Last year, the Wall Street Journal introduced the Pastor Pan and his church to mainstream media by recounting their journey to Jeju, South Korea.  


 




ChinaAid is proud to announce an opportunity for readers to directly encourage members of the Mayflower Church via email! Contact Pastor Pan and his congregation directly to send prayers, words of encouragement, support, and Scripture: themayflowerchurch@gmail.com.  

 



Consider giving to the Jeju Christians here as they continue to explore every option for resettlement. 









Update for August 11: Potential kidnapping




(ChinaAid—August 11, 2022) In the last several months, options dwindled for the Mayflower Church and Pastor Yonggang. The South Korean government refused to grant them asylum due to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) influence. Church members sought resettlement options, and American partners visited the Chinese church to protect them from potential kidnapping.

Read more


Update for May 5: Work with value and dignity






Work for the Mayflower congregation has been difficult. Most of them are educated and inexperienced with manual labor.


Sister Chen Jingjing writes about this transition and praises the Lord for her opportunities working in South Korea. Many Koreans are accepting of her and the Mayflower Church, treating them well in whatever work environment they find themselves in.


Read her full update here.








Update for May 3: Elder Wensheng Wen and Sister Chen Xiurong






In this update, Elder Wensheng Wen reflects on his time with his sick son. Read "Embracing my sick son" here.


Sister Chen Xiurong reflects on how close she is now to her family and church. Read "Where my church is, my home is" here.





Update for May 2: "Motherly Reflections"






Many of the men of the Mayflower Church have updated ChinaAid on the struggles of adapting to life outside of China. Recently, however, several women sent updates regarding their journey in a foreign country. The first update by Xiurong Chen celebrates how Mayflower members gathered during their “Christmas Thanksgiving” last year. Jingjing Chen, a mother, wrote the second update, recalling how the initial living situation was challenging for everyone. 

Read the full entry here.


Update for April 17, 2022: "My two years of exile"






The 60 Christians of Shenzhen Holy Reformed, also known as the Mayflower Church, continue to wait for updates regarding their legal status in Jeju.


This latest update from Sheng Ti He recounts the culture shock and adjustments many of the members faced for two years.


Read the full entry here.



Update for April 14, 2022: Pastor Pan and Elder Wenshen Wen








The leadership of the Mayflower Church reflected on the urgency and effect of their exile. These two updates can be found below.


Elder Wenshen Wen: "The Wilderness Life of Exiles"


Pastor Pan: "Urged by the Holy Spirit to leave China"





Update for April 8, 2022: "Maybe God has his wonderful will for us with this arrangement..."





Elder Nong Jiafeng provided another update in the aftermath of the church's wave of COVID infections. He revealed that about half of the families tested positive for COVID, including his own.


Fortunately, nobody has experienced severe symptoms, and the congregants are happy to experience South Korea's less restrictive COVID guidelines.


Read the update here.




Update for April 5, 2022: "Comfort and the next generation"






The sixty congregants recently endured a round of COVID-19 infections, and they have spent their time studying Christian history in China.


You can read the entire update here.



Update for March 10, 2022: "Longing for my brother"






Two young members of the Mayflower Church sent letters to a fellow believer in mainland China, Joshua Wang.  

 

Yesterday was Joshua Wang’s 15th birthday. Wang is the son of Pastor Wang Yi of Early Rain Covenant Church who currently serves a nine-year sentence. Wang Yi’s family has been subject to 24-hour surveillance. Joshua previously attended a Christian school, but now authorities escort him to public school every day.  

 

The Mayflower Church and Early Rain have a direct connection. Not only do the pastors know each other well, but Pastor Pan Yonggang signed his name onto Wang Yi’s “A Declaration for the Sake of the Christian Faith” along with over 400 Chinese house church leaders in 2018. Wang Yi was arrested less than four months later. 


Read the full update here.




Update for March 1, 2022: "When the virus looks ferocious, we fix our eyes on God’s smiling face"





Jeju’s confirmed cases in the past three weeks spiked from a few dozen to the current over 2,000 cases. The government’s COVID policy is to co-exist with the virus, and we know that we will get infected eventually. As we proactively prepare for that day, we are a little worried about one of the kids—Eve. She is the only one among us who has an underlying condition, she battled severe pneumonia; severe pulmonary effusion; and scarlet fever three years ago.


You can read the full update from Pastor Pan here.