by Josh Shepherd
Two toddlers watched as Chinese police took their mother away. More than 600 miles away on a ministry trip, their father could only watch from afar as his family was torn apart.
“We never imagined she would be taken away by the police, right in front of our two young children,” said Pastor Yang Jun, 44, about his wife, 37-year-old Wu Qiuyu, one of the so-called ‘Zion 8’ detained in southern China since last October. “My wife was, at the beginning, not on a list to arrest. She is bearing this burden for me.”
Yang, who earned his theology degree in 2012, oversees campus ministries at Beijing Zion Church, a house church network with locations in 40 cities across China founded by recently released Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri.
He and Wu met in 2013 when multiple churches in Beijing united for a young adult ministry event. Both had been on-track to earn science degrees then decided to pursue Christian ministry. “At university, I found that science cannot explain everything, especially the meaning of life,” said Yang.
Wu traveled to the U.S. to study theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts from 2014 to 2016. She and Yang married in 2022.
Today, Yang remains in South Korea, where he was on a ministry trip when Chinese police arrived at his family’s home on Oct. 10, 2025. The couple’s three-year-old son and two-year-old daughter are now being raised by their grandparents. Human rights advocates continue to press Wu Qiuyu’s case after she was denied bail on June 29.
Speaking from an undisclosed location in South Korea, Pastor Yang recounts what his family is facing and why he has decided to speak out. It has been lightly edited for length.
A FAMILY SEPARATED OVERNIGHT
With your wife, Wu Qiuyu, imprisoned for nine months, what has it meant for you and your family?
Pastor Yang: It’s very hard for me because my wife is my closest companion and co-worker. During this period, while she’s away, I often feel lonely. I immerse myself in busy ministry work, trying to ease my longing for my wife and family.
She’s the bond that holds our family together. Our two young children rely heavily on her. She is the one who plans and decides what we eat each day. Without her, our family can no longer enjoy family time. There’s many happiness and comfort times lost for us.
What did that scene look like when she was detained in October 2025?
Pastor Yang: Before it happened, some believers in our district were approached by the police. The police asked questions about what the church’s money and offerings were used for, looking for evidence of fraud. These believers refused to cooperate, and they told us what had happened. From that, I knew the police were looking for evidence against Zion Church, and I believed they would eventually arrest me.
I had prepared for that possibility and had even talked with my wife about it. But when it happened, I was abroad. So, the police gave my wife a call and they asked if I am home. She told them I’m not in China now, but they got to my home and they changed the arrest list from me to my wife.
As a result, she had no preparation at all. In the four years since we got married, she had mainly been caring for our children and had very little involvement in our church ministry.
Also, my wife has long needed medication for a pre-existing mental health condition. That’s our family’s greatest concern. Since she was detained, our lawyer has submitted at least three applications for her release, but all have been rejected.
How have your two children responded?
Pastor Yang: Our two children are very young. One is three years old and one is two years old, a brother and sister. When the incident happened and police took their mother away in front of them, they didn’t know what had happened.
They are now being cared for by their grandparents. Members of our church visit every week to help care for them because I’m outside China. I cannot be with them. I video call them nearly every day. Sometimes they ask, “When are Mom and Dad coming back?” “Why is it always Dad giving a call?” “Where’s Mom?” “When will she come back?”
LIFE BEHIND BARS
What are the conditions in the prison where your wife is detained?
Pastor Yang: When she first went into prison, it was very difficult. She’s only allowed to write one letter each month to her family. She never expected this or prepared for it. Her heart was focused on caring for our children, so it’s been very hard for her to live apart from them.
Because of this sudden and unexpected trial, her mental state was not good when she first went in. After some time, she adapted a little, but the harsh environment makes it hard for her to rest well. She also does not have full rights to read books or the freedom to write letters whenever she wants.
For a while, she has had a world map and a map of China in her cell, and every day she prays for a province of China or for a country somewhere in the world. Through our lawyer, she has shared with me which country she’s praying for now.
Have you had any direct contact with your wife?
Pastor Yang: Absolutely not, because it’s forbidden to give her a video call or any call. I can only send messages to her through her lawyer. The lawyer will meet with her maybe every two weeks and reads the letters to her. She will reply to me through the lawyer.
After certain Beijing Zion Church leaders were released weeks ago, your wife and others faced escalated charges. How do you make sense of that?
Pastor Yang: I always thought that because my wife was not heavily involved in church ministry, she would be released soon. But she was not released with the others.
My understanding is that she is bearing this burden for me, because I am now outside China and continue to serve the church. I told her, “You are carrying my portion of suffering. We are one because we are married, so you are bearing a share for both of us.”
HOPE FOR FREEDOM
What is your response to Pastor Ezra Jin being freed?
Pastor Yang: We, the family members of the detained Zion Church believers, rejoice and are thankful that Pastor Jin has been released. I see this as a positive development. At the same time, our appeal is that the other detained believers also be released and that all charges against them be dropped.
How can believers be praying for your wife and your family?
Pastor Yang: Please pray that my wife will receive growth and strength through prayer. May God protect her physical health. Pray that my wife, who likes to study, will have the freedom to read books inside which helps sustain her. Recently, prison officials allowed her to receive reading materials, including the Bible.
Also, pray that the Lord would watch over the growth of our two young children, that they won’t lack emotionally. I pray that the Lord would give strength to my wife’s parents and my parents so that they can stay healthy to take care of the two children.
Finally, please pray for me to have wisdom and courage to continue to strive for my wife’s freedom.
Why are you speaking out now regarding your wife’s detention and your family’s story?
Pastor Yang: We are not only speaking out for our own loved ones — we are also bearing witness to the truth of what we have experienced. Through our testimony, we allow God’s truth and mighty works to reach more people, so that God may be glorified.
Sharing this with the public will draw more attention and disrupt our previously quiet and low-key life. But compared to the suffering my wife has gone through, these things are nothing.
Josh Shepherd is editor of ChinaAid News. Founded in 2002, ChinaAid is an international Christian human rights organization committed to promoting religious freedom and the rule of law in China through advocacy, legal support, and international awareness campaigns.