Pastor Shen Shaochun was born in Huaiyuan County in 1966. Both of his parents were preachers who planted 4 churches. After graduation from seminary in the early 1990s, he worked part-time farming and part-time serving in the local seminary. In 2006, he was called to serve full-time. Starting in 2016, Pastor Shen Shaochun went to Wa State, Myanmar to teach and founded the “Living Water Elementary School” there. In 2018, four theology students who were attending the school were arrested by the Myanmar police and handed over to the Chinese police. The police traced the case back to Pastor Shen. Pastor Shen was arrested on September 30, 2018, and later brought to court for trial. In court, Pastor Shen did not want to identify anyone, hoping that the police would release the four theology students. He fully admitted guilt and accepted punishment. He was eventually sentenced to seven years in prison for “organizing others to illegally cross the border”. His sentence will last until September 2025.
Pastor Shen and his wife Pu Chunmei have a 36-year-old son who is married. Their son and daughter-in-law are both Christians, and they also have a 6-year-old son. Pastor Shen Shaochun is the only son in his family. In July of last year, his 83-year-old father passed away. The old man’s regret was that he could not wait for his son to be released from prison. Pastor Shen’s mother is 79 years old this year.
Under normal circumstances, Pu Chunmei can have one phone call opportunity with Pastor Shen every month. There is very little correspondence between them. Pu Chunmei visits Pastor Shen in Xishuangbanna Prison every few months.
April 2024
After more than five years in prison, his health has significantly declined. He has been diagnosed with high blood pressure and needs to take blood pressure medication every day. His teeth also often ache. Before his imprisonment in 2018, Pastor Shen had an eye disease in his left eye. Due to his busy service, he delayed treatment, and later his left eye became completely blind, and he could only use his right eye. After being imprisoned, due to engaging in work that is particularly taxing on the eyes in prison, Pastor Shen’s right eye vision has also significantly declined. This is the first time the outside world has learned an update about him in the five and a half years since Pastor Shen Shaochun was imprisoned. He remains in perilous health condition.
Latest Update: January 2025
Pastor Shen Shaochun was released from Xishuangbanna Prison in Yunnan Province at the end of 2024 after completing six years and three months of a seven-year sentence for allegedly organizing illegal border crossings into China from neighboring Myanmar. Pastor Shen’s wife, son, daughter-in-law, and grandson traveled to the prison to pick him up. He was released 9 months early, and has safely returned to his home in Nanjing.
His early release is especially good news due to ongoing concerns about Pastor Shen’s health.
