Pastor Wang Xueguang’s Journey: From Fear in China to Freedom in the U.S.

(China – March 21, 2025) Pastor Wang Xueguang, who preached for over a decade in cities such as Shenyang in Liaoning, Changchun in Jilin, and Wenzhou in Zhejiang, relocated to the United States last year. Despite living in a land of freedom now, the fear he felt in China still lingers in his heart. In an exclusive interview with Radio Free Asia, he recounted the years of relentless oppression and revealed how Chinese authorities systematically suppress the Christian faith.

Religious Persecution in China: Pastor Wang’s Struggle for Faith and Freedom

In China, faith is not merely a spiritual refuge but more of a perilous journey. During his academic career, Wang Xueguang took theology courses and even attended overseas training sessions. In January 2024, when he and his classmates attempted to travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to attend a course, the departure process turned into a nightmare.

“At the customs of Jinjiang, Fujian, my classmates and I were taken into a ‘small black room.’ At that time, there were five people in one dormitory, and four people were locked in that ‘small black room,’” Wang recalled. “They searched our phones, warned us not to go next time, and told us to ‘behave’ and not discuss anything unfavorable about the Communist Party. (They) intimidated us like that.”

Faith Under Siege: Pastor Wang Xueguang’s Escape from China’s Oppressive Religious Policies

Even acquiring theological knowledge became a dangerous endeavor. Every purchase of a book was a potential risk that could lead to severe consequences.

“During the process of my studies, I needed to buy books from Taiwan and Hong Kong because I needed to write a paper. Every time I made a book purchase, I feared they would track my address, arrest me, confiscate my books, or fine me because people around me had faced such incidents,” he said.

Wang Xueguang’s fears were not unfounded. In recent years, Chinese authorities have cracked down harshly on the sale of overseas Christian literature. One of the most well-known cases was that of Zhang Xiaomai (real name Chen Yu), the owner of the Zhejiang-based online bookstore “Xiaomai Bookstore.” He was accused of “illegal business operations” for helping Chinese Christians purchase overseas Christian books and was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2020.

“This made me even more afraid,” Wang Xueguang recalled. “I had bought many books in the past and kept them at home. For a while, every time I heard a police siren, I was extremely frightened. Because I knew a brother who had been sentenced to six years.”

China’s Crackdown on Christianity: The Cost of Worship and Education for Chinese Christians

This fear was not just psychological — it was a looming reality. While Wang Xueguang was in Northeast China, he knew a Christian who had purchased Christian books from the U.S.-based A Kernel of Wheat Publishers online. He had originally thought that years had passed since the transaction so it should not be an issue, but the Chinese government’s crackdown proved to be far more extensive than expected.

“Later, the person who sold the books was arrested, and the Communist Party investigated all of his transaction records. From there, they tracked down my brother (in Christ),” Wang said.

This Christian soon received a phone call from the police station: “We have found that you purchased illegal religious publications, in which year and month, what is your name.”

The brother replied, “It has been so many years, I don’t remember.”

The officer’s chilling response was: “You need to find them and hand them over voluntarily.”

“When the brother reiterated that he couldn’t recall, do you know how the police officer responded? ‘It’s fine if you forgot. We can send someone to your home for free to help you look.’”

Exile for Faith: Pastor Wang’s Harrowing Story of Persecution and Religious Freedom

In China, the reality for Christians is stark — reading theological books is treated as a crime, purchasing devotional materials can lead to imprisonment, and studying the Bible and theology is even more frightening.

In addition to the personal crisis of his faith, Wang Xueguang also experienced the oppressive Chinese education policies. He spoke candidly that his children were forced to endure “red education” in China.

“I have two children, both born in Northeast China. During my theological studies, I met seminary teachers, some happen to be from Western countries. Through them, I realized that there was actually another educational choice.”

To provide his children with a Christian education, he decided to purchase American teaching materials and homeschool them. “Since 2017, I’ve been buying teaching materials from American churches and teaching my children entirely in English at home. My eldest daughter reached fifth grade, and my son reached third grade. But the brother who helped us purchase the teaching materials was arrested.”

In June 2024, Pastor Wang Xueguang and his family immigrated to the United States. He is now working at a church in Los Angeles.

“I chose to come to the U.S. primarily for religious freedom,” he said. “In China, every time I heard a police siren, the fear I felt inside was unbearable. In China, gathering for worship was far from free.”

“Because in China, to be honest, I really, really loved the people of that land because they are so simple and sincere. But due to political reasons, I had no choice but to leave.”

Under the dual pressure of religious persecution and oppressive education policies, he was forced to leave his hometown and seek freedom of faith and education in the United States. His story is a true reflection of the experiences of countless Chinese Christians and families.

In this rapidly modernizing country, religious beliefs are still subjected to the harshest scrutiny, and the right to worship God is openly stripped away.

For these Christians, faith has never been a matter of compromise — it is a truth that must be upheld. Even in the face of persecution, even when forced into exile, they continue to lift their eyes to the heavens, believing that God’s justice will ultimately prevail.

(Reported by Special Correspondent Gao Zhensai of ChinaAid)