Wednesday, February 16, 2005
CHINA: GREAT SUFFERING CONTINUES
By Elizabeth Kendal
World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (WEA RLC)
Special to ASSIST News Service

AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- Chinese authorities have a suspicion and fear of foreigners and of Christianity that is rooted in more than Communism. During the 19th Century, Western Protestant Christian missionaries and gospel tracts frequently arrived in China on the same ships as opium. Thus Protestant missionaries unfortunately became identified with Western opium traders, particularly those of the British East India Company, which acted with the silent complicity of the British government. China's objections to the opium trade led to the Opium War of 1839-42. British troops defeated the Chinese imperial forces and forced the Nanking Treaty on China. This gave British trade five ports not subject to Chinese law and thus the import of opium increased markedly. This was a huge humiliation which severely undermined the Qing Dynasty. Then the Taiping Rebellion (1850-64), a militant insurgency by a pseudo-Christian cult, caused some 20-30 million deaths, with a further 30 million dying from the resulting famine.
So it is not totally surprising that Chinese authorities and the masses developed a strong nationalistic, anti-foreign and anti-Christian mindset. During the 19th and 20th Centuries Chinese Christians and foreign missionaries paid a high price. Today Chinese Christians are still paying the price.

Despite its denials, China has multitudes of Christian prisoners. Torture is routine in prison interrogations. Beatings, inhumane treatment and slave labour are standard in 're-education through labour' camps. Three of those presently imprisoned are:
Pastor Gong Shengliang (50), founder and senior pastor of the 50,000-strong house-church network, South China Church (SCC), who is serving a life sentence.

Mr Zhang Yinan, a house-church Christian and church historian who was arrested on 26 September 2003 without a warrant. Zhang was held with no access to a lawyer and without trial was convicted of 'conspiracy to subvert the national Government and the socialist order', due to 'seditious' material found in his confiscated prayer journal. Zhang was sentenced to two years of 're-education through labour'.

Pastor Zhang Rongliang (53), one of China's most prominent and well-known house-church patriarchs. Pastor Zhang, who is the leader of the 10 million-strong house-church network, China for Christ Church, was arrested on 1 December 2004. His location is unknown. Pastor Zhang has had five previous detentions (with torture) amounting to 12 years in prison. He is diabetic and there are great fears for his safety.

Hudson Taylor (1832-1905), the great British missionary and founder of China Inland Mission, once wrote, 'They are perishing, a thousand every hour, a million every month, while to me and to every believer is given to ask in prayer whatsoever we will; to ask without limit in the name of Jesus.' He wrote this because he believed the scripture: 'And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.' (John 14:13 NIV).

THEREFORE PLEASE ASK SPECIFICALLY IN JESUS' NAME FOR:
• Pastors Gong Shengliang and Zhang Rongliang, whose lives are seriously at risk, and Mr Zhang Yinan. • God to be glorified in strengthening the bodies and souls of all China's Christian prisoners, and guarding their hearts and minds so the devil has no victory over them; for their families and churches too. • advocacy and diplomacy on behalf of China's Christian prisoners to be effective - may God bring forth justice. (Proverbs 29:26) • religious freedom to become a reality in China so that the Chinese Church will be free to be the God-glorifying blessing she longs to be to the nation and the world.