(Los Angeles — January 13, 2026) “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26 

Amid solemn and quiet prayers, Pastor Zhang Boli (张伯笠) opened the “January 9 Fasting and Prayer for Persecuted Church in China” with this verse. On this night, suffering was not concealed but lifted to God through prayer.  

That evening, nearly 300 pastors, co-workers, and brothers and sisters from the Greater Los Angeles area gathered at Harvest Chinese Christian Church (丰收华夏教会) of Los Angeles. At the same time, more than 2,000 believers around the globe joined online, across different countries and time zones, united in prayer for the churches in China. 

One Date, Bearing Countless Tears and Faithfulness

Pastor Zhang Boli pointed out during the meeting that January 9 is no coincidence, but a date repeatedly “marked” in the history of China’s house churches.

“Over the past decade and more, this ordinary date, the 9th, has become an extraordinary marker.”

He reviewed the following events one by one:

April 9, 2011: Beijing Shouwang Church (北京守望教会);

December 9, 2015: Guiyang Living Stone Church (贵阳活石教会);

January 9, 2018: Linfen Golden Lampstand Church demolished with explosives (临汾金灯台教会);

September 9, 2018: Beijing Zion Church (北京锡安教会);

December 9, 2018: Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church (成都秋雨圣约教会);

October 9, 2025: Nearly 30 members of Zion Church (锡安教会) were detained, with 18 still in detention to this day.

In addition, the “709 Mass Arrest/Crackdown” on July 9, 2015, also involved many Christian lawyers and cases of religious persecution. 

Therefore, Pastor Zhang said, “We once again solemnly call for January 9 to be established as ‘China Religious Freedom Day,’ and for the 9th of every month to be designated as a ‘Day of Fasting and Prayer for the Persecuted Church in China.’” 

At the venue, a list of 69 Chinese churches currently suffering persecution was read aloud and posted. Behind every name stands a group of believers who continue to gather despite having been impacted, monitored, and scattered.

As Pastor Zhao Xiang’en (赵享恩) led the congregation in prayer, his voice was low yet resolute:

“Pray for those in prison, for those encountering hardship, and for co-workers suffering together in different places. The witnesses of Beijing Zion Church and Early Rain Covenant Church have fought the good fight. They have been faithful to God’s word, and they will receive their reward.”

He cried out for the Wenzhou churches and for all the churches in China, declaring: “The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.”

The congregation then sang together God’s Love is in China. The song echoed through the sanctuary and, through the internet, reaching different corners of the world: 

“The Lord’s love is in China, igniting eternal hope;

The Lord’s love is in China, raising hearts of grace and faithfulness;

Hand in hand with beloved saints, bearing witness across the land—

The Lord’s love never ceases.”

He Who Began a Good Work in You Will Carry it on to Completion

Anna (刘安娜), the wife of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri (金明日), stepped onto the stage, her tone gentle yet carrying profound weight. 

“These past three months, I have done many things for the first time in my life.”

She spoke candidly about how she was not good at public speaking, but because her husband and co-workers were deprived of their freedom, she had to step out of her comfort zone.

She shared that 18 co-workers remain in detention, held at a detention center in the southernmost part of China. Some have been subjected to repeated illegal interrogations, with charges ranging from “illegal use of information networks” to “illegal business operations” and “fraud.” The authorities have treated legitimate church offerings as criminal evidence.

“For them, going to prison for the first time, there is fear and confusion.”

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

She mentioned that an elder with heart disease was denied bail, communication has been intercepted, and even within the detention center, there have been instances of instigation to commit violence.

At present, 17 children are affected, including 10 under the age of ten. They have not seen their fathers for three months, experiencing emotional breakdowns and sleepless nights.

“We are not asking to come out quickly right now—we are first asking for healing.”

“May the Lord preserve the days when we can see one another again.”

Early Rain and Living Stone: Persecution Is Not the End

Brother Wang Chengzhong (汪成忠) of Early Rain Covenant Church recalled the December 9, 2018, church case:

The church was shut down, authorities confiscated church property, 29 individuals were placed under administrative detention, and 28 individuals were placed under criminal detention. Pastor Wang Yi (王怡) was sentenced to nine years, while elders and pastors’ wives have had their personal freedom restricted for an extended period.

He spoke of Pastor Wang Yi’s 11-year-old child, who once slept for six months in his grandmother’s living room, unable to stretch his legs fully. Also, parents who were legally allowed monthly prison visits, yet over seven years, they were only able to make seven visits in total.

In the most recent church case, Elder Li Yingqiang (李英强) and his wife Zhang Xinyue (张新月) recorded a video in advance: “If you can no longer see Mom and Dad, remember this song.”

The meeting played the message that elder Li and his wife left for their children:

“As the mountains surround Jerusalem… so the Lord surrounds you, from now till forevermore.”

Zhang Xiuhong (张秀红) of Guiyang Living Stone Church testified that because the church refused to join the Three-Self system, it faced a comprehensive crackdown: gatherings, Christmas celebrations, and baptisms were all halted.

During her two years of detention, she once attempted suicide to prove her innocence, but God’s word and the prayers of brothers and sisters sustained her.

“There is only one thing we do: preach the gospel.”

“When the government takes away the church building, we scatter; even in groups of three or five, we do not stop meeting.”

She candidly shared that in the darkest detention centers, they are drug users, murderers, and drug traffickers who came to faith.

True Freedom Is Not Outside High Walls

Pastor Long Jiang’en (龙降恩) pointed out in his message that true freedom is not a political slogan, but the core of the gospel.

“Freedom without Christ, even in a palace, is still imprisonment; in Christ, even in prison, the soul remains free.”

Citing Galatians and Martin Luther’s teaching, the pastor explained that freedom is not license, nor escape from God’s judgment, but redemption and adoption, returning to the Father’s house. We are not Barabbas, but sinners whose place was taken by Christ.

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

Prayer Continues, Vigil Does Not Cease

At the closing of the prayer meeting, all joined together in intercession for the churches in China, for those bound, for families and children, and for legal teams.

“What the churches in China are experiencing is not our misfortune, but your choosing of the churches in China to establish your kingdom among the nations.”

The prayer meeting was livestreamed via pastor Zhang Boli’s YouTube channel (张伯笠谈天说地) and the hcccla.net platform, allowing believers worldwide to rewatch and continue their vigil. 

“All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But Christ has set us free, so that we may stand firm.”

Gao Zhensai, Special Correspondent for ChinaAid