(Bengbu, Anhui Province – March 18, 2024) Recently, sister Liu Xunzhen sent a letter to her husband in prison, Xue Shaoqiang, an elder of Cornerstone Reformed Church in Bengbu, Anhui Province. In the letter she revealed that Elder Xue Shaoqiang’s mother passed away during the Spring Festival due to illness. However, Elder Xue was detained in the Bengbu Detention Center on charges of “fraud” because of his Christian faith. Elder Xue’s mother passed away on February 18 without realizing her dying wish to see her son one last time.
On April 11, 2023, Pastor Wan Changchun of Cornerstone Reformed Church was arrested by the police in Lijiang, Yunnan Province while serving there. He was accused of “illegal business operations” by Bengbu police in Anhui Province and detained in the Bengbu Detention Center. Elder Xue Shaoqiang, Wan Chunqin, Cao Binting, and another male Christian were also criminally detained one after another on the same charge. Other church members were summoned successively, and the church’s finances were thoroughly searched, with accounts being frozen.
On May 18, 2023, the People’s Procuratorate of Yuhui District in Bengbu approved a change in the charges. The Public Security Bureau of Yuhui District arrested Pastor Wan Changchun on charges of “fraud”. They prosecuted Elder Xue Shaoqiang and three other co-workers, along with Pastor Wan Changchun’s wife, You Xiulin, on charges of “fraud” and brought them to the People’s Procuratorate of Yuhui District. In response to these accusations, the church has repeatedly declared their innocence. Nevertheless, the People’s Procuratorate of Yuhui District in Bengbu still prosecuted the five Christians to the Court on fraud charges.
Elder Xue Shaoqiang was wrongfully imprisoned on April 24, 2023. Considering that her mother was 87 years old and might not be able to bear such a blow, Liu Xunzhen chose to hide the fact that her husband was arrested from her mother-in-law. She lied and claimed that he was only temporarily away for work in another city. Elder Xue’s mother missed her son very much and repeatedly requested to speak with him. Eventually, Liu Xunzhen had to tell her the truth. Elder Xue’s mother couldn’t accept the reality. She knew her son’s character and understood that Christian offerings had always been a tradition of the church.
Elder Xue Shaoqiang’s mother was originally in good health, aside from the chronic pain in her waist and legs. However, since learning about her son’s arrest, her longing for her son grew day by day. Every day, she waited and hoped, wishing to see her son as soon as possible. She worried about Elder Xue Shaoqiang day and night, which made it difficult for her to sleep and eat. After several months, Elder Xue’s mother’s health deteriorated. In mid-December 2023, she suddenly fell ill and couldn’t eat, losing a lot of weight.
Elder Xue’s mother once tearfully confided to Liu Xunzhen, “I’m afraid I won’t be able to wait for my son to come back. In the future, I can only reunite with my son in heaven. But if the Lord allows it, I still want to see my son one last time before I leave. Even if it’s just a distant glance, it would bring me peace.”
During the Spring Festival this year, on the evening of February 18th, Elder Xue’s mother passed away, leaving with regret without being able to see her son again. Her mother-in-law’s death plunged Liu Xunzhen into extreme pain and indignation. She constantly questioned in her heart, “Who recklessly shattered a mother’s dying wish? And who arbitrarily deprived a son of the opportunity to fulfill his filial duty and accompany his mother in her final moments? Is the so-called fraud really a violation of the law on our part, or is it a blatant ‘religious persecution’ by the law enforcement? But I know that all the answers lie with God.”
While packing up her belongings, Liu Xunzhen decided to keep several pieces of clothing that belonged to Elder Xue’s mother as a memento. She hoped that when Elder Xue Shaoqiang is released from prison, he will be able to feel his mother’s presence from these clothes. She revealed that Elder Xue had just bid farewell to his father in November 2022, and a little over a year later, his mother suddenly passed away.