(Chengdu, Sichuan Province – August 28, 2024) On the morning of August 21, 2024, the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, which has long suffered religious persecution, issued a prayer request letter, pleading for Christians to pray for Preacher Wu Wuqing’s family. The letter revealed the recent persecution of forced relocation from the local government that Wu Wuqing’s family has endured. To forcibly evict Preacher Wu Wuqing’s family from their current legally rented house with an unexpired lease, the local government has taken inhumane extreme measures by cutting off water, electricity, and natural gas. Preacher Wu has repeatedly called the municipal hotline but was ignored. Currently, it’s the peak of summer heat in Chengdu, and the difficulties brought to their family life by the suspension of water, electricity, and natural gas are imaginable.
Preacher Wu Wuqing’s family currently rents in the Jinke Tianchen Community, Wenjiang District, Chengdu. To drive them out of their current residence, relevant departments cut off their electricity on July 25, 2024, water on July 29, and natural gas on August 7 (restored after one day following complaints). In the scorching weather, Preacher Wu Wuqing’s family has been living in a house without water and electricity until today. During this period, Preacher Wu has called government service hotlines multiple times, but was brushed off by relevant departments and was not helped.
According to reports, before July 22, Preacher Wu Wuqing’s home had intermittently lost electricity five or six times. Since July 22, the electricity has been cut off every day, initially by damaging the switch, and later by cutting the wires. The property management claimed they received notice from the community not to allow residents to lock the electrical rooms on each floor, making it easier for staff to tamper with them.
On the evening of July 25, Preacher Wu chose to call the police. The police only called to inquire about the situation. At 3 am the next day, the electricity was cut off again, and when they woke up, they found the wires had been cut again. Preacher Wu called the police again, and after the police arrived at the scene to investigate, they took him to the police station to file a report. After leaving the police station and returning to the community, Wu asked the property management to send someone to reconnect the wires, but they replied that due to the special circumstances of his family, they would no longer provide such services, and they could only find someone to connect the wires themselves. Fearing that the wires would be cut again, Preacher Wu decided to accept the fact of no electricity and began living without electricity until the situation changes.
He said, “Growing up in the countryside, compared to that era, the current environment is nothing. Compared to the imprisoned pastors, it’s even less significant. If compared to the great glory to come, what we’re experiencing today is just a light and momentary affliction!”
On the evening of July 29, the property management also cut off the water to Preacher Wu Wuqing’s home, and the door to the water meter room on their floor was also locked. Wu called the municipal hotline again, with the ticket number and retrieval code.
Since December 9, 2018, the Early Rain Covenant Church has long been persecuted by the government using illegal means. As a committed preacher of the church, Wu Wuqing has been repeatedly detained by the police, summoned (sometimes for nearly 24 hours), had his car tires punctured, water and electricity cut off, forced to move, prevented from entering the community by security guards after renting a new apartment, and had his furniture thrown in the garbage station. To force him to move, his home has been cut off from water and electricity multiple times since the fall of 2020.
Regarding this latest forced relocation, Preacher Wu Wuqing said,
The enemy knows that cutting off water and electricity like this is illegal, yet they still do it. This is persecution because of faith, something that every Christian who holds onto pure faith will encounter, and it’s also an opportunity God gives us to receive rewards!
I don’t want brothers and sisters to see this message and become angry or resentful. Instead, I hope brothers and sisters can kneel down and pray for us, asking God to have mercy on us, so that in such circumstances, we can overcome all this by God’s grace!
When you pray for us, it shows that you identify with the hardships we are experiencing as your own hardships, that you are suffering with us! In the future, we will surely share in the glory together! Amen!
On the morning of August 8, Preacher Wu called the natural gas company for the third time, and the natural gas was finally restored, but the water was cut off again. Wu went to check the water meter room on his floor and found the door locked, unable to enter. On the other hand, the electricity outage that started on July 25 has still not been restored.
According to reports, as of August 21, not only does Preacher Wu Wuqing’s home continue to be without water and electricity, but guards have also been dispatched outside his door, following him whenever he goes out. Moreover, every night at 2 am and 4 am, unidentified people knock on his door, waking them up. The lock and doorknob of his home have also been sprayed with glue multiple times.
The Early Rain Covenant Church earnestly requests brothers and sisters to pray for Preacher Wu Wuqing’s family, asking the Lord to stop the unscrupulous attacks of evil people, and praying that the Lord will allow them to live peacefully in Chengdu.