Pastor Yan Xiaojie

On September 19, Pastor Yan posted an “urgent prayer request” online, stating that personnel from three different government offices stopped by his home the previous day to speak with him. He said,

“I was not home, so they threatened my mom and wife, telling them that they must see me and investigate two things: one is that I signed the petition, and the other that I will travel abroad in October. I am communicating with them now. May the Lord Jesus be with me. I hope [Christian] brothers and sisters will pray hard for me.”

According to Voice of the Martyrs Korea representative, Hyun Sook Foley, this is not the first time Yan has been targeted. On August 26, 2015, Yan was put under administrative detention on the false charge that he was “disturbing social order.” The next month, he was transferred to criminal detention and then placed under surveillance. In February 2016, he returned home on bail (his trial pending) and he had been restricted the freedom of movement.

“In China, all Christians (not only Christians in Henan) have limited freedom,”

representative Foley explains.

“Pastor Yan knew that signing this petition would further limit his freedom and even put his life in danger. However, he also knew Hebrews 13:3 which commands Christians to ‘remember those in prison as if you were together with them, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.’ So he signed the petition.”

Representative Foley adds,

“If Pastor Yan, a Chinese Christian with limited freedom, is willing to risk his life for Christians in Henan, how much more should we, Korean Christians who are allowed to worship freely, stand up for our brothers and sisters in Henan?”

Voice of the Martyrs Korea is a non-profit organization which works with ministries around the world to ensure that the voice of the martyrs never falls silent. For up-to-date information about Christian persecution in China in more than 70 countries around the world, visit the Voice of the Martyrs Korea website at www.vomkorea.com.