[Today’s Prayer] Chinese court sentences prominent Protestant pastor to 14 years in prison

A Chinese court sentenced a prominent Protestant pastor to 14 years in prison. The pastor's wife and four church members were also sentenced to prison terms ranging from 3 to 10 years. They were all found guilty of using superstition to undermine the law.

Radio Free Asia (RFA) recently reported that Dalian City's Ganjingzi District People's Court sentenced Pastor Kan Xiaoyong, in his 60s, to 14 years in prison. His wife, Wang Fengying, was sentenced to four years in prison, and four church members were also sentenced to prison.

RFA quoted a source as saying, “Kan’s initial sentence was expected to be over 20 years, but strong resistance from his lawyers led authorities to reduce the sentence. Likewise, Wang’s expected sentence was 15 to 18 years, but it was ultimately confirmed to be 4 years,” he said, emphasizing that “nevertheless, none of the defendants are guilty.”

After moving from Wuhan to Dalian in 2018, Kan and Wang established the online preaching platform ‘Home Discipleship Network’. In October 2021, the two were arrested by Dalian police along with four other church members. Sources said the Chinese Communist Party cracked down on Pastor Khan's online followers and his church's unofficial status, seeing them as a threat.

Both Kan and Wang claimed they were tortured during interrogation. This claim was also submitted to court, but the authorities did not refute it. Elder Xu Yonghai of the Beijing House Church said that Protestant churches in China are becoming increasingly divided due to government pressure.

Bitter Winter, a magazine covering religious freedom and human rights in China, reported, “These heavy sentences are part of a broader effort by the Xi Jinping government to force all Protestant churches to join the state-run Three-Self Church.”

According to Bitterwinter, the charges against Kan and his co-defendants included “illegal business practices” and the use of “paganism” to undermine law enforcement. ‘Paganism’, which is translated as ‘heretical teachings’, is a word often used by Chinese authorities to refer to groups that are considered ‘cults’. However, Kan's organization, a typical Protestant house church, does not fit this.

(omitted)

The most severe persecution occurs in areas dominated by Buddhism or Islam, and converts to Christianity face serious threats. But as digital persecution increasingly affects Christians, especially house churches, the pressure is spreading across China.

Source: Christianity Today

The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” (Acts 23:11).

We hear that a pastor of a house church in China, his wife, and church members were sentenced to prison on the pretext of illegal business and superstition.

The Chinese government is continuing to persecute unregistered house churches and attempting to confine them by joining them as state-run Three-Self churches for government monitoring.

Lord, who loves the Chinese church, although communist beliefs are causing division and persecution within the Chinese church, we believe that you will strengthen their faith and pour on them the fire of the Holy Spirit.

Would you give peace among Pastor Kan of China, his family, and the churches, and help them not to lose faith and rely only on Jesus Christ, who will give the final victory.

Even though it may be a small church, would you be with the Chinese church members who are living and devoting themselves to Jesus and give them the wisdom and strength to overcome all plots and dangers.

Satan, who hates that the people love God, will severely oppress and threaten their lives, but please help them to praise and worship the Most High God and become a holy Chinese church that is triumphant in all difficulties through prayer.

Therefore, let their life of faith and walk of holiness spread throughout the land of China, and may the Word of God, the only truth, rule over them.

We believe that they will become the Chinese church that serves only the Lord with all their lives until the very end! Let China’s one million army rise together and advance for the kingdom of God!