Updated December 19, 2022*
(Deyang, Sichuan province) Qingcaodi Church disclosed in an open letter that the case that Hao Ming, a former elder of the church, and Wu Jiannan, the incumbent elder of the church, may be punished severely. Authorities accused Hao and Wu of defrauding over $71,000, which could mean serving up to 10 years in prison.
Elder Hao Ming, 65 years old, and Elder Wu Jiannan were taken away by police on November 17, 2021. They were criminally detained two days later on suspicion of “fraud” by police. Last Christmas, the families of Elders Hao Ming and Wu Jiannan received their arrest notice with an official indictment of fraud.
Elder Hao Ming served as the elder at Deyang Qingcaodi Reformed Church before he retired. He worked for the church for over 10 years and retired in January 2021. He with his family attended Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu since his retirement. Qingcaodi Reformed Church was originally the evangelical campus of Early Rain in Deyang and later became its church as part of the West China Reformed diocese. Elder Hao Ming also signed the Joint Statement by Pastors: a Declaration for the Sake of the Christian Faith, penned by Pastor Wang Yi. Three days after the Early Rain crackdown in 2018, Qingcaodi Church was also raided. Multiple police officers broke into their gathering place, dispersing Christians who were studying the Bible and posting a shut-down notice on the church entrance. On March 25, 2021, the Sichuan Province Department of Civil Affairs announced a list of illegal NGOs that needed to shut down, and Qingcaodi Church and Early Rain were on the list.
The church appointed Hao Ming and Wu Jiannan based on the congregation’s vote, and they have a good reputation in the church. Everyone noted Elder Hao Ming’s self-discipline and noble moral standards. It is one of Christianity’s traditions to give offerings to a church, and every Christian is willing to give offerings.
The attorney requested to meet with Elders Hao Ming and Wu Jiannan, but authorities blocked their meetings until May 31, 2022. Although he lost 32 lbs, the lawyer disclosed that Elder Wu Jiannan looks good physically and mentally. However, Elder Hao Ming suffered some awful health issues such as hematochezia. Due to COVID, guards prohibited him from being sent to a hospital. He also struggled spiritually due to his discrimination from past congregants and other inmates. Later, he met with the attorney and learned of the care of the congregation for his family’s situation and communicated with brothers in Christ, making him feel more connected spiritually.
On November 26, 2022, the attorney met with Elder Hao Ming at the detention center again. It was Saturday, so Deyang City Detention Center leaders and staff and Prison Management Branch arranged a virtual meeting for them. The attorney learned that the case of Elders Hao and Wu had been transferred to court and waited for prosecution.
~Yu Bing, ChinaAid Contributing Reporter
*Translator’s note: In the initial English reporting, ChinaAid reported that Wu and Hao could owe up to $71,000,. However, this was a misunderstanding from the Chinese report. The update report reflects a more accurate understanding.
