{"id":56579,"date":"2025-12-02T14:00:49","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T05:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=56579"},"modified":"2025-12-02T11:50:03","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T02:50:03","slug":"vomk-report-376","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2025\/12\/02\/vomk-report-376\/","title":{"rendered":"CHINA: PASTOR ZHANG SHAOJIE RELEASED AFTER 12 YEARS IN PRISON"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”56581″ img_size=”full” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”Voice of the Martyrs Korea is reporting that Pastor Zhang Shaojie returned to his home in Nanle County, Fuyang City, Henan Province under police escort November 16 after his release from prison following the completion of his full 12-year sentence. Voice of the Martyrs had conducted a global letter writing campaign on behalf of Pastor Zhang, working to ensure that he received a constant stream of encouraging letters from other believers for the duration of his imprisonment while making sure prison officials were aware that people around the world were closely monitoring the pastor\u2019s situation. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left|color:%23111111″ google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”” el_class=”headline”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0Hyun Sook Foley<\/span>\u00a0says her ministry celebrates\u00a0<\/span>Pastor\u00a0<\/span>Zhang\u2019s release but expresses concern that authorities installed face recognition cameras in the pastor\u2019s home and have so far not allowed him to receive any visitors.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]In a statement obtained by Voice of the Martyrs Korea, Pastor Zhang\u00a0<\/span>said,\u00a0<\/span>\u201cC<\/span>oming out of prison during this month of Thanksgiving has been full of God\u2019s grace \u2014 I have seen the Holy Spirit\u2019s presence every day.\u00a0<\/span>I am\u00a0<\/span>deeply grateful for\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>help and support of the international community; otherwise, I might not be here today and might have been \u2018disappeared.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”56577″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Pastor Zhang, the former<\/span>\u00a0head of the\u00a0<\/span>government-run T<\/span>hree-<\/span>S<\/span>elf\u00a0<\/span>P<\/span>atriotic\u00a0<\/span>Church C<\/span>ongress in\u00a0<\/span>Nanle<\/span>\u00a0County, Henan Province<\/span>, was a<\/span>rrested\u00a0<\/span>by dozens of police officers in November 2013, allegedly over land disputes with the county government.\u00a0<\/span>Later<\/span>\u00a0the local government brought\u00a0<\/span>additional<\/span>\u00a0charges against him, including \u201cgathering crowds to disturb public order\u201d and \u201cfraud<\/span>\u201d.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]\u201cPastor Zhang has been pastoring in the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Nanle<\/span>\u00a0area of Henan<\/span>\u00a0since the 1990s,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0\u201cHe had been<\/span>\u00a0repeatedly warned and harassed by the local government\u00a0<\/span>because of his\u00a0<\/span>insistence on\u00a0<\/span>the right of churches to gather\u00a0<\/span>independent<\/span>ly of government oversight. His time in prison was harsh\u2014he was moved between several prisons, did long-term forced labor, and experienced restrictions on communication with and visits by family members.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”56582″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”Pastor Zhang Shaojie\u5f20\u5c11\u6770\u7267\u5e08 hugs his 84-year-old mother after returning home November 16 following the completion of his 12-year prison sentence.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0101|line_height:1.45em” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]C<\/span>o<\/span>ncerns were raised in January 2021 by V<\/span>o<\/span>ice of\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0Martyrs Korea, its US-based ministry partner China Aid, and several other persecution watchdogs when\u00a0<\/span>Pastor Zhang\u2019s daughter said that the prison\u202fwas\u202fhaving\u202fhim\u202ftake a small white pill\u202fdaily.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]\u201cDuring 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,\u201d said Representative Foley.\u202f<\/span>\u201dBut<\/span>\u00a0Pastor Zhang\u2019s family members noticed Pastor Zhang\u2019s mental state was failing and that his personality had drastically changed during their last prison visitation<\/span>.\u202f\u201d<\/span>\u202f<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]Representative Foley cautions that prayers are often needed more after a prisoner is released than during the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>imprisonment<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>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<\/span>\u00a0feel<\/span>\u00a0overwhelmed by all the challenges of returning to normal life–especially when authorities are watching closely,\u201d she says. \u201c<\/span>In\u00a0<\/span>Pastor\u00a0<\/span>Zhang<\/span>\u2019<\/span>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<\/span>. We should pray that\u00a0<\/span>Pastor Zhang and his<\/span>\u00a0family\u00a0<\/span>will\u00a0<\/span>experience<\/span>\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>Lord<\/span>\u2019s comfort and strong, safe presence<\/span>, and that they\u00a0<\/span>will know how to serve him in the coming days<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”56585″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”Pastor Zhang Shaojie pictured in 2014 at the Detention Center in Nanle county, Henan. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0101|line_height:1.45em” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Representative Foley also says that writing letters to Christians imprisoned for their faith is a ministry often neglected by Christians. \u201cMost Christians don\u2019t realize that it is often possible to write letters to Christians\u00a0<\/span>like Pastor\u00a0<\/span>Zhang,<\/span>\u00a0to encourage them while they are in prison,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cChristians assume that the letters would be blocked or would create further troubles for Christian prisoners<\/span>, or they worry that they themselves will be tracked somehow for writing a letter<\/span>. But our website\u00a0<\/span>maintains<\/span>\u00a0a 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<\/span>\u00a0or the letter writer<\/span>. Former prisoners\u00a0<\/span>frequently<\/span>\u00a0tell us how much letters from Christians around the world\u00a0<\/span>meant to them\u00a0<\/span>during their imprisonment.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]The ministry\u2019s website lists the information and addresses for\u00a0<\/span>9<\/span>\u00a0Christians currently imprisoned for their faith, in countries including China,\u00a0<\/span>Iran<\/span>, and Eritrea. The list is accessible at\u00a0<\/span><\/span>https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/prisoner-profiles\/<\/span><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/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=”56581″ img_size=”full” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”Voice of the Martyrs Korea is reporting that Pastor Zhang Shaojie returned to his home in Nanle County, Fuyang City, Henan Province under police escort November …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":56580,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","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":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56579","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=56579"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56579\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56589,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56579\/revisions\/56589"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}