Prayer for Wanbang Missionary Church of Shanghai

March 04, 2010

Return to Ten Thursdays of Prayer for China’s Church.  

In February 2009 Pastor Liu Tongsu of the 1200-member Shanghai Wanbang Missionary Church sent a report to China Aid human rights monitors about the Chinese government authorities’ attempts to stop the worship services and other activities of Wanbang Missionary Church.

Six police officers and officials from the State Administration for Religious Affairs showed up at the church on the morning of February 10, as the church was welcoming attendees to a conference for urban House Church pastors beginning later that day. The authorities ordered the chief pastor, Cui Quan, to cancel the seminar. Cui defended the church’s right to hold the seminar and pointed out that attendees had already arrived and checked into the hotel. They continued on with the conference until early afternoon, at which time they moved the conference to another location.

When the conference ended on February 12, and the pastors of Wanbang Missionary Church returned to the church building, they discovered that the police had ordered their landlord to terminate their lease within 30 days. Pastor Liu Tongsu said that this unconstitutional act, “is a serious violation of the people’s basic rights” and that it was “committed in a very unreasonable manner.” The Chinese government used “coercive measures to end a small-scale academic seminar” therefore depriving the people “of their right to assemble,” Liu declared. Then, when Wanbang Missionary Church changed the conference site out of respect for the police, the police responded by “taking revenge on them for trying to cooperate.” Finally, said Liu, “Terminating a civil agreement that is completely in line with the legal process, through the use of a state compulsory organ (police) is already a violation of more than one law.”

That was not the end of the Chinese government’s harassment of Wanbang Missionary Church. On November 2, 2009, they started up again. This time, says China Aid, “more than 30 officials from Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau, the State Administration on Religious Affairs (SARA) and two other government agencies forced entry” into the church. Senior Pastor Cui Quan was interrogated by the leaders of each of the different agencies. They accused the church “of holding an illegal gathering” and ordered the church to cease meeting indefinitely. China Aid reports that after questioning Pastor Cui and other church partners around the city, the police concluded that the church was meeting illegally and forbid the church to meet in the future. Pastor Cui Quan received an “official Notice of Abolishment for Wanbang Missionary Church” on November 10, says China Aid.

The next confrontation between police and Wanbang Missionary Church took place on Thursday evening, November 12. At this time Public Security officials sealed the doors of the church. Church members banded together at the doors and provided an escape route for the associate pastor so that he was not detained by the police.

According to China Aid, the police were determined to get the Christians out of the public eye in preparation for the visit of President Barack Obama. They launched a city-wide manhunt for members of Wanbang Missionary Church and all seven pastors received a notice declaring their pastoral status as “self-claimed illegal preachers.” They were ordered to stop their “illegal religious activities,” says China Aid.

The next Sunday, November 15, during the worship service held outdoors, hundreds of government officials and secret police took photos and recorded the service. China Aid said that other church members received text messages telling them that the service was cancelled, defaming the church, and threatening the members. A week later, four of the pastors, Cui Quan Cui Longguo, Liu Quanqin, and Huang Yun were summoned to Shanghai Tuanqiao Police Station where they were charged with illegally holding social activities. China aid reported that the police tried to break up the gathering, “but 500 church members refused to stop singing and finished the two services without the pastors.” Pastor Cui Quan issued a statement about this situation that same day.

The people and pastors of Wanbang Missionary Church have persevered through this harassment and persecution with both grace and fortitude. Respectfully, but firmly, they have insisted upon their human rights. With the assistance of human rights attorney Li Baiguang, they requested an administrative review of the actions against the church. A few days later, when female pastor, Liu Quanqin was detained and abused by the police for 15 hours, she also filed a request for administrative review. If the requests for review are rejected, the church has said it will file a formal suit if rejected, will file a formal suit against the Minhang District, Shanghai Public Security Bureau. 

Prayer Points for the Week of March 4 – March 10, 2010

March 4

Thank God for the faithfulness and effectiveness of the Wanbang Missionary Church. Ask Him to continue to bless them and to use them for the extension of His kingdom in China.

March 5

Pray that the request for administrative review would be granted and that the Wanbang Missionary Church would be able to worship freely with no more threats of church closure.

March 6

Pray for blessing and protection for all of the members of the Wanbang Missionary Church. Thank God for their love for Him, and for their witness to the Chinese authorities. Ask Him to bless every family that is represented in Wanbang Missionary Church.

March 7

Pray for senior pastor, Cui Quan. Pray that he would be protected and enabled to continue to be the shepherd of the Wanbang Missionary Church, and to preach the gospel with great boldness. Ask God to bless his wife and children and to provide for their needs.

March 8

Pray for all of the other pastors of the Wanbang Missonary Church. Particularly pray for Liu Quanqin and her husband. Pray that she would be protected from further harassment and that her request for administrative review would find favor in the eyes of the officials.  

March 9

Thank God for work of Chinese Christian human rights attorneys who are willing to risk their careers and their well-being to help others and to fight for religious freedom and democracy in China. Particularly thank the Lord for Li Baiguang and his defense of the Wanbang Missionary Church. Also continue to pray and thank God for concerned members of Congress who are advocates for the persecuted church and human rights in China. Ask God to continue to bless them and use them for His glory and for the deliverance of China from oppression. Pray for an expansion in the authority of those who care so deeply about such issues, and for continued encouragement in the wearying battles they face on Capitol Hill.

March 10

Pray for a change of heart and repentance on the part of the Chinese government. Pray that God would open the eyes that are blind and make tender the hearts of stone.