(Bengbu, Anhui province) Public security officers arrested Wan Changchun, the pastor of Cornerstone Reformed Church on May 19. Previously, the pastor was criminally detained for “illegal business operations” in another province. In the most recent arrest, authorities also charged three church co-workers with fraud.
On April 11, 2023, police arrested Pastor Wan Changchun of Cornerstone Reformed in Bengbu City, Anhui Province for “illegal business operations.” He served another church in Lijiang, Yunnan province at the time. Currently, Pastor Wan is detained at Bengbu Municipal Detention Center.
Officers took You Xiulin, Pastor Wan’s wife, to the police station for inquiry after Pastor Wan’s arrest. She was released afterward. The elders, deacons, and coworkers of Cornerstone Reformed were summoned one after another. Soon after, investigators audited the church’s finances and froze their bank accounts. Pastor Wan’s home was searched on April 14, and police confiscated his belongings.
The next day, You Xiulin sent out an open prayer request. She claimed that her husband earned a Ph.D. in theology and that their entire family was Christian. The couple raised three kids, their ages ranging from 8 to 16. Wan Changchun’s father also needs constant care and attention due to a previous car accident. but the mother-in-law is not healthy, either. Pastor Wan Changchun never runs an enterprise nor makes any proceeds. You Xiulin said she couldn’t visit her husband, the kids miss their father, and Pastor Wan’s elderly parents can’t wait for their son to come back. You Xiulin hopes that Christians can intercede for Pastor Wan, pray for God’s justice and presence, and he can return home safely soon.
~Yu Bing, ChinaAid Contributing Reporter
