{"id":42615,"date":"2022-05-31T14:00:38","date_gmt":"2022-05-31T05:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=42615"},"modified":"2022-05-31T13:33:38","modified_gmt":"2022-05-31T04:33:38","slug":"vomk-report-207","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2022\/05\/31\/vomk-report-207\/","title":{"rendered":"CHINA: AUTHORITIES HALT CHURCH WEDDING, BUT LOVE CONQUERS ALL"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”42594″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Zhang Qiang and Xiao Yue were no different than the thousands of other couples preparing for a wedding on Saturday, May 21, in China, except for one thing: ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”headline”][vc_column_text]They are members of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”42616″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As a result, <\/span><\/span>th<\/span>e<\/span> <\/span>weekend did not end with them being pronounced husband and wife but rather with them being detained and then released from the Chengdu police station, with orders not to proceed with the ceremony<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr<\/span>.<\/span> Hyun Sook Foley, the couple were not the only <\/span>ones <\/span>pressured <\/span>by the <\/span>authorities<\/span> over the wedding<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cEven t<\/span>he hotel where the wedding was <\/span>scheduled <\/span>to be <\/span>held <\/span>had to <\/span>cancel due to <\/span>the <\/span>pressure<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>Elder Li <\/span>Yingqiang<\/span>, <\/span>Pastor Wu <\/span>Wuqing<\/span>, <\/span>Pastor Dai <\/span>Zhichao<\/span>, and others associated with the church were<\/span> told by the police that they could not go out to attend the wedding.<\/span> Sister Hu <\/span>Xinrong<\/span>, who was preparing to <\/span>arrange<\/span> the wedding, was stopped by the Dayi police <\/span>at<\/span> the high-speed railway station and ha<\/span>d to <\/span>return home.<\/span> Even <\/span>Brother Shen Bing<\/span>, who<\/span> went to the police station to <\/span>comfort the couple<\/span> while they were being detained<\/span>, <\/span>was followed by nearly ten security <\/span>officers and was himself detained by the police even after the couple was released<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”42601″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Early Rain Covenant Church members Brother Zhang Qiang and Sister Xiao Yue were scheduled to hold their wedding May 21st. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”42604″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”The Chengdu police station where the bride and bridegroom were detained.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The <\/span>forced cancellation of the wedding by Chengdu authorities is <\/span>the latest in a series of <\/span>disruptions, <\/span>arrests<\/span>,<\/span> and investigations <\/span>of <\/span>Early Rain Church <\/span>since <\/span>the arrest of <\/span>its <\/span>Senior Pastor Wang Yi and more than 100 <\/span>of its <\/span>members on December 9, 2018. Pastor Wang Yi was sentenced on December 30, <\/span>2019<\/span> to nine years in prison by the Chengdu Intermediate People’s Court for inciting subversion of state power and illegal business operations.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>It would have been easy for Zhang Qiang and Xiao Yue just to separate themselves from the church and <\/span>regard their wedding as a private event for <\/span>their<\/span> own happiness,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cBut Ephesians tells us that <\/span>marriage is <\/span>not a private celebration but <\/span>a mystery that shows the world the <\/span>unbreakable <\/span>bond between Christ and the church.\u201d <\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to Representative Foley, even after the authorities cancelled the event, the couple and the church members vowed to complete the wedding together.<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>One church member wrote, <\/span>\u2018<\/span>Although the wedding may seem impossible, Christ has already won, and He will soon come to marry His bride. Christ loved the church and gave himself up for the church. May we remain faithful and holy to our King, who loves us so much!<\/span>\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”42607″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Police officers were at the door of Pastor Dai Zhichao\u2019s house to prevent him from leaving. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”42610″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Subpoena from the Public Security Bureau. \u201cCarrying out activities (wedding) in the name of a banned organization (ERCC)\u201d was the crime referenced in the subpoena.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Representative Foley believes God honored the persistence of the church and the couple. \u201cThe couple reserved another wedding hall in Chengdu for May 24, but this wedding hall was also forced to cancel due to pressure from the police,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cBut church members managed to arrange for another wedding hall in nearby <\/span>Wenjiang<\/span>, and the couple was able to be married on the afternoon of May 24.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that even though many church and family members were unable to be present due to the circumstances, the church was still able to fulfill its biblical responsibilities to the couple. \u201cMinister Dai <\/span>Zhichao<\/span> and Elder Li <\/span>Yingqiang<\/span> were unable to be present in person due to surveillance, so they conducted the ceremony via online connection,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cDeacon Ge <\/span>Yingfeng<\/span> and his wife Li Bing were present as their witnesses and signed the marriage certificate, which was then presented to the couple on behalf of the church. Truly love\u2014the love of the Lord for his church and for the wedding couple\u2014conquered all.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”42613″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Messages from the hotel to the newlyweds, informing them that the hotel was forcibly requisitioned by the town government as a quarantine hotel and that their deposit was refunded.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”42598″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”The couple married May 24 in Wenjiang, with Pastor Dai Zhichao officiating the service via online connection.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Individuals interested in donating to Voice of the Martyrs Korea\u2019s work in partnership with the house church Christians of China can visit www.vomkorea.com\/en\/donation<\/span><\/a> or give via electronic transfer to:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

KB Bank: 463501-01-243303<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Account Holder: (<\/span>\uc0ac<\/span>)<\/span>\uc21c\uad50\uc790\uc758\uc18c\ub9ac<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Please note \u201cChina\u201d on the transfer<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”42594″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Zhang Qiang and Xiao Yue were no different than the thousands of other couples preparing for a wedding on Saturday, May 21, in China, except for one …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":42595,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[857,235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russian-special","category-special-column","category-china-special","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42615"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42615\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}