“Do not be sad, rejoice, for this blessing far surpasses the present suffering”. These are the words of Pastor Wang Xiaoguang of the Golden Lampstand Church, who was recently sentenced to eight years in prison.
In the early 2000s, as the Golden Lampstand “Household” Church grew exponentially, authorities began to pressure Pastor Yang Rongli and her husband Pastor Wang Xiaoguang to register and officially become a part of the “Three-Self Patriotic Association”. They steadfastly refused, and the church faced immense pressure from the government to acquiesce.
Everything culminated in 2009, when the government used bulldozers to destroy church property and deployed over 500 officers in plainclothes to stage a violent demonstration. Pastor Yang Rongli and Pastor Wang Xiaguang were arrested and sentenced to 7 years and 3 years in prison respectively. Upon Pastor Yang’s release in 2016, the government forcibly evacuated the church building, and then strategically placed dynamite around the building in order to blow it up. The church was completely destroyed.
After spending years in prison and witnessing their church building being destroyed, Pastor Yang and Pastor Wang had a difficult decision to make. Would they retire from ministry altogether? Would they join the government’s “Three-Self Church” to avoid persecution?
Like the prophet Jeremiah, when he said, “His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”, they knew they had to continue proclaiming God’s Word, despite the consequences.
So, they decided to remain firm in their committed to the Lord and boldly proclaim the gospel in their community. Even though the church no longer had a building, congregation members continued to meet in homes, outdoors and even online.
Now, Pastor Yang Rongli and Pastor Wang Xiaguang are once again serving time in prison, but this time Pastor Yang is facing 15 years and Pastor Wang 8 years.
From prison, Pastor Wang wrote a letter to his son and said, “though I have no Bible in hand, I often meditate on Scripture, and each morning I awake to new light, far more profound and richer than my previous understanding of the ‘theology of the cross’.”
After decades of faithful service to the Lord as a pastor, Pastor Wang is now in prison, but he is receiving instruction and care, directly from the Lord.
And after receiving her 15-year sentence, Pastor Yang described it as “a great crown given to me by God” and she entrusts her hope to “God’s greater work.”
Due to Pastor Yang and Pastor Wang’s advanced age, it is possible they will live their final years of life in prison. Pray that they will consider prison as their appointed place of ministry by God.
