Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley says her ministry celebrates Pastor Zhang’s release but expresses concern that authorities installed face recognition cameras in the pastor’s home and have so far not allowed him to receive any visitors.  

In a statement obtained by Voice of the Martyrs Korea, Pastor Zhang said, “Coming out of prison during this month of Thanksgiving has been full of God’s grace — I have seen the Holy Spirit’s presence every day. I am deeply grateful for the help and support of the international community; otherwise, I might not be here today and might have been ‘disappeared.’” 

Pastor Zhang, the former head of the government-run Three-Self Patriotic Church Congress in Nanle County, Henan Province, was arrested by dozens of police officers in November 2013, allegedly over land disputes with the county government. Later the local government brought additional charges against him, including “gathering crowds to disturb public order” and “fraud”. 

“Pastor Zhang has been pastoring in the Nanle area of Henan since the 1990s,” says Representative Foley. “He had been repeatedly warned and harassed by the local government because of his insistence on the right of churches to gather independently of government oversight. His time in prison was harsh—he was moved between several prisons, did long-term forced labor, and experienced restrictions on communication with and visits by family members.”  

Concerns were raised in January 2021 by Voice of the Martyrs Korea, its US-based ministry partner China Aid, and several other persecution watchdogs when Pastor Zhang’s daughter said that the prison was having him take a small white pill daily.  

“During a prison visit, his family tried to convince him not to take the pill, but he said the prison doctor told him it was for high blood pressure,” said Representative Foley. ”But Pastor Zhang’s family members noticed Pastor Zhang’s mental state was failing and that his personality had drastically changed during their last prison visitation. ”  

Representative Foley cautions that prayers are often needed more after a prisoner is released than during the imprisonment. “Former prisoners of faith often tell us that while they are in prison, the Lord feels very close to them, and then when they are released the feel overwhelmed by all the challenges of returning to normal life–especially when authorities are watching closely,” she says. “In Pastor Zhang’s case, the facial recognition cameras installed throughout his home and the ban on visitors means that he will continue to be experiencing real trauma. We should pray that Pastor Zhang and his family will experience the Lord’s comfort and strong, safe presence, and that they will know how to serve him in the coming days.” 

Representative Foley also says that writing letters to Christians imprisoned for their faith is a ministry often neglected by Christians. “Most Christians don’t realize that it is often possible to write letters to Christians like Pastor Zhang, to encourage them while they are in prison,” says Representative Foley. “Christians assume that the letters would be blocked or would create further troubles for Christian prisoners, or they worry that they themselves will be tracked somehow for writing a letter. But our website maintains a list of prisoners in places where mail can be received, and where a simple letter of Christian encouragement will not create trouble for the prisoner or the letter writer. Former prisoners frequently tell us how much letters from Christians around the world meant to them during their imprisonment.”  

The ministry’s website lists the information and addresses for 9 Christians currently imprisoned for their faith, in countries including China, Iran, and Eritrea. The list is accessible at https://vomkorea.com/en/prisoner-profiles/.