Xianzhi Liu: For the joy set before her, despising the shame

“I cried to think how the Chinese Government was so harsh even to a vulnerable girl like me, a very ordinary Christian.”

I was born May 27, 1971 in Tianmen City, Hubei Province, China. I became a Christian October 26, 1989 through the witness of the South China Church, and I have been a member since that time. The South China Church has almost half a million members in 10 provinces and 17 pastoral areas.

During the 15 years since the founding of the South China Church, 2,071 of its members have been arrested and detained or sent to brainwashing classes for a total of 403 years, 11 months and 6 days. This does not include three life sentences. More than 3 million Chinese RMB (US$38,760) and countless items of private property were illegally confiscated. Forty-nine homes were raided and destroyed. Believers were tortured. Many women were sexually abused and molested during their interrogation to obtain the false evidence against Pastor Gong.

I suffered severe persecution for my faith, including torture and imprisonment on several occasions. I have spent a total of six years in labor camps and 80 days in detention.

On October 4, 1991, my co-worker and I went to the home of some believers to encourage them in the faith. As we entered the house, the local village chief reported us to the police. The police surrounded the house, arrested us and took us to the police station, where three officers took turns interrogating me, trying to force me to deny Jesus. I was accused of illegal evangelism and imprisoned.

On July 22, 1996, I went to a gathering at a believer’s house in Shayang County. At the closing prayer that night, police came in and arrested me and five other believers, after we were reported by a non-believer. November 22, I was sentenced to three years in a labor camp for “disturbing the social order.”

I cried to think how the Chinese Government was so harsh even to a vulnerable girl like me, a very ordinary Christian. However, I felt honored that I was able to partake in the suffering of Christ.

On May 27, my 30th birthday, while I helped edit the South China Church Magazine, the police raided the house and arrested us. We were taken to Zhongxiang Police Training Center. In order to frame Pastor Gong Shengliang, the police tried to force me into confessing that he had raped me. When I refused I was brutally beaten, stripped and humiliated by the police.

I wanted to escape the cruelty and prayed that the Lord would take my life. Instead, the picture of Christ hanging on the cross naked appeared, renewing my strength and giving me hope. I was eventually sentenced to three years reeducation through labor and released in February, 2004.

Meet Our Founder

As the “Countdown Clock” on Tian’anmen Square ticked backwards toward the July 1 takeover of Hong Kong, Bob Fu and his pregnant wife, Heidi, knew their time was running out, too... Learn More >