The utility termination follows a 14-day detainment of Pastor Wu and three other Early Rain church leaders in September for leading a communion service for the church.  

“Pastor Wu and his wife remain strong in the Lord but request prayer for their family,” says Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley. “When Pastor Wu was detained for 14 days in September, he said he was thankful that at the detention center he had access to water and electricity, since utilities at his own home had been cut off for about a month at that time.” 

Representative Foley says that such utility cuts which ultimately force relocation have been common for Early Rain church leaders since Chinese authorities began their crackdown on the church on December 9, 2018, with the arrest of its senior pastor Wang Yi and more than 100 church members in Chengdu.  

Another water and electricity cut-off occurred at Pastor Wu’s home just before the National Day holiday in China on October 1. 

“Then on the afternoon of October 16, Pastor Wu Wuqing discovered that his home’s water supply had again been cut off suddenly,” says Representative Foley. “Upon inspection, he found that the water valve controlling his home’s water meter had been turned off. Pastor Wu opened the valve, and the water supply returned to normal.” 

She adds that at around 9 AM on October 17, his home suddenly lost electricity.  

“When he checked the floor’s power supply room, he found that the power switch had been manually disconnected,” says Representative Foley. “After resetting the switch, the power supply returned to normal. Then around noon, the electricity was cut off again. So Pastor Wu went to check the power supply room once more and found that wires had been cut. He saw two people hurriedly leaving the room, so he took photos and called the police.”  

Representative Foley says that the police subsequently arrived and told the pastor that they would conduct their own investigation. 

“Pastor Wu asked the church brothers and sisters to pray for his family, asking God to help them overcome this new forced relocation attempt and to remove any anger from their hearts, facing those who persecute them with Christ’s gentleness,” says Representative Foley. “He said, ‘When you pray for our family, you are acknowledging that we are suffering for the sake of our faith, and you are suffering with us! May God have mercy on us and graciously help us!’” 

Representative Foley notes that Pastor Wu is facing these personal difficulties while also pastoring one of the most actively persecuted churches in the world. 

“Imagine trying to prepare sermons while you are also trying to track down who turned off your electricity or trying to get ready for church services when there is no running water at your house,” says Representative Foley. “Yet even in these circumstances Pastor Wu remains joyful and determined to serve the Lord no matter what the cost. He and his wife and the whole Early Rain congregation are living examples of what the New Testament writers called the ‘patient endurance’ that is required for those who seek to follow Christ.” 

Individuals interested in donating to Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s work in partnership with the house church Christians of China can visit www.vomkorea.com/en/donation or give via electronic transfer to: 

KB Bank: 463501-01-243303 

Account Holder: (사)순교자의소리 

Please note “China” on the transfer