Source: www.csw.org.uk
Date: August 16, 2025
In 2 Corinthians 7:6 we read that God ‘comforts the downcast’. Let’s hold this in mind as we pray for Pastor Huang Yizi, an imprisoned Protestant pastor in China’s Zhejiang Province.
A few weeks ago, he was formally arrested on charges of ‘illegal business operations’ for selling recordings of sermons.
This is not the first time he has been targeted by Chinese authorities.
Pastor Huang was first detained in 2014 for protesting the forced demolition of church crosses. He was sentenced to a year in prison.
Less than a month after his release, the authorities targeted him again. This time he was detained on charges of ‘endangering national security’. He was held in a form of secret detention* for five months.
Most recently, the pastor was taken into custody on 26 June 2025 alongside four other church members.
While two of the Christians were released on bail on 25 July, Pastor Huang and the other two church members were not. Another church member who was separately detained on 17 July also remains in detention.
To God, who comforts the downcast, we pray:
- For the immediate and unconditional release of Pastor Huang Yizi and the other unjustly imprisoned Christians.
- That the Chinese authorities will stop using vague charges like ‘illegal business operations’ to target religious communities.
- For freedom and justice for all who are being oppressed or persecuted in China.
*Residential surveillance at a designated location (RSDL)