(Anhui, China – November 3, 2023) The mother of a Christian pastor in Anhui, China, expressed strong condemnation after her son and daughter were both wrongly accused by the Chinese government. In her statement, she vehemently protested against the authorities indicting her children with fraudulent charges, saying, “I cannot accept it.” She stated that she would much rather go to prison herself in exchange for the freedom of her son and daughter. She urgently asks for the prayers of fellow Christians.
Li Xiuying is a senior preacher who has been a faithful believer for 38 years. She is the mother of Pastor Wan Changchun and Wan Chunqin of Living Stone Reformed Church in Bengbu, Anhui Province. She is the mother of Pastor Wan Changchun and Wan Chunqin of Living Stone Reformed Church in Bengbu, Anhui Province.
Wan Changchun and Wan Chunqin were detained on suspicion of “illegal business operation” but arrested on a different charge – “fraud.” Their cases are now in the stage of prosecutorial review at the Yuhui District People’s Procuratorate of Bengbu City.
“I won’t accept this; I have something to say!” Li Xiuying said on October 31st.
She shared her journey of faith, saying:
Before I came to faith in the Lord, our family lived lives worse than deaths: our children were frail and frequently ill, and their father was addicted to gambling. I not only had to take care of the children but also had to provide for the family and live like there was a mountain crushing down on my shoulders. When I was at a dead end, God brought the gospel to me through my mother. Since I became a believer, my life has been illuminated, and our family has found hope. I prayed for my husband for five years before he broke free from the bondage of sin and turned to God. Since then, our family has been filled with joy in Christ. Our home gradually became a gathering place for Christians. My husband and I serve the Lord together with one heart. All of this happened naturally, without the approval or permission of anyone. Those who come to our home for gatherings do so voluntarily, all because of our faith to serve the Lord.
She then shared the story of her two children, Wan Changchun and Wan Chunqin, who grew up in faith despite being in an extremely difficult living environment.
Changchun was called to the Lord when he was 18 years old. He served (the Lord) while studying. At that time, the church didn’t provide support, so Changchun sold edamame beans to earn some money. He couldn’t afford a haircut, so he let his hair grow long. He had only one robe that he washed at night and wore again in the morning. But I am proud and grateful for Changchun. He has been on this path of servitude for 25 years, enduring hardships and never giving up on serving, no matter how tough it gets.
My daughter, Wan Chunqin, has raised two children by her own hands, enduring hardships. Now, because of her arrest, the two children are also in pain. Her husband had a heart attack and passed away unexpectedly two years ago. My daughter had just emerged from the grief of losing her husband, and now she is separated from her children. The children lost their father, and now they have also lost the companionship of their mother. Every time I think about this, I feel extremely distressed. With this heart-wrenching experience, I can only silently pray before God, asking for him to comfort my child’s heart. If possible, I would willingly give up my own life to spare my children, but I know deep down it is not possible. I can only look up to the Lord.
Li Xiuying’s husband is also in poor health. Last year, he had a car accident and was in the intensive care unit in a coma for more than twenty days before waking up. Currently, due to a stroke, his memory is continuously declining, and his physical coordination abilities are also affected.
“Now that my two children are being accused of “fraud” for serving the Lord, I cannot accept it! It is an insult to our family,” Li Xiuying said.
She questioned the local authorities for using church registration as a criterion to judge what is legal and illegal. She said, “Our family has been serving and welcoming others for so many years. How come now, if the church is not registered, we can’t gather, we can’t preach, and if we collect voluntary offerings, it becomes fraud? How come registration has become the only way to qualify for serving Christ?”
She emphasized the voluntary nature of the Christian faith. “Those who attend gatherings, how could they not know about the existence of the main church? Yet, they chose to gather at my son’s place. Isn’t it because his ministry aligns more with the faith everyone identifies with? The Bible also says, ‘If anyone serves for his own gain, let such a person be accursed. My children did not fraudulently take a single penny. God monitors everything!” she said.
Heartbroken, she said, “It is now late autumn, and it is getting colder. I do not know how my two children are doing inside (prison). I can only entrust them to the Lord, praying for God’s protection over my children.”
Pastor Wan Changchun, from Living Stone Reformed Church in Bengbu, Anhui province, was arrested across provincial borders by the Bengbu police on April 11, 2023, during a church activity in Lijiang, Yunnan province. He was accused of a non-religious criminal charge of “illegal business operation.” Currently, he is being held at the Bengbu City Detention Center. During this period, his family endured immense suffering, with his wife and children eagerly waiting for his return in deep longing.
The local authorities of the Yuhui District Public Security Bureau also formally charged four co-workers from the church, as well as Pastor Wan Changchun’s wife, You Xiulin, with “fraud.” The Yuhui District People’s Procuratorate of Bengbu City is in charge of their cases.
The church has repeatedly stated that Living Stone Reformed Church in Bengbu is a house church and has not been registered with relevant government departments such as the Civil Affairs Bureau. The pastors and elders of the church are appointed in accordance with biblical teachings and the unanimous agreement of the congregation. All offerings made by the church members are voluntary and willingly given according to the teachings of the Bible, without any coercion. The church’s expenditures are transparent and publicly disclosed regularly, and all expenses are known and agreed upon by the congregation.
Chinese authorities widely use economic charges such as “fraud” to prosecute pastors of house churches, aiming to dismantle the system of house churches in China. Several cases indicate that the Chinese government selectively targets pastors within the Reformed Church system as specific objects of oppression. As a result of a common-sense error on the part of some departments of the Chinese authorities, a discriminatory and extremely hasty judgment was made, concluding that the church system posed a threat to their regime.
The Reformed Church system is a globally recognized orthodox Christian church, acknowledged by governments and religious communities worldwide, and should be protected under the highest legal authority specified by the Chinese government’s constitution.
