(Taiyuan, Shanxi province) On August 25th, Pastor An Yankui and Zhang Chenghao of Zion Reformed Church were released from detention. After their release, An Yankui shared his insights on prison ministry.
30 Days of detention
Authorities administratively detained both men for 15 days on July 25, 2023. Then, An and Zhang were criminally detained for another 15 days for refusing to pay a fine.
Their families and church members went to the detention center with flowers and greeted them. The scene was heartwarming as the two men embraced their wives and children.
Summer camp raid
Zion Reformed Church of Taiyuan began a three-day children’s summer camp on July 24th. On the second morning, police raided the camp and demanded to inspect it because there were hidden “safety” issues. Ten men in uniforms and five in plain clothes took away Preacher An Yankui, Mr. and Mrs. Wang Yingjie, and Zhang Chenghao. These Christians were later placed under administrative detention for 15 days and fined 500 yuan (~$68.55). Their charge was “conducting activities in the name of an illegal social organization”.
Detained together
An Yankui and Zhang Chenghao refused to pay their fine, so the Fenyang Court detained them again. Both men were placed in Fenyang Rishi Detention Center where they could communicate with each other and pray. According to their accounts, An and Zhang got together and prayed during the prominent “5 PM in China“.
Prison Ministry
From their first day in the detention center, they preached out loud to the 50 to 60 people in their cell. Fellow prisoners asked An Yankui and Zhang Chenghao questions about their faith or to sing. Others approached them privately and asked them to evangelize. An and Zhang told them the gospel, prayed for them, and left their contact information.
Plowing the ground for the gospel
Preacher An Yankui later reflected on his time in prison. He said that they were plowing the ground for the gospel this time. “Shanxi is hard ground for the gospel, and this land is very resistant,” An said. He and Zhang were eager to bear fruit and hoped that the good news would be accepted as soon as possible. But this time, they realized that before they could bear fruit, they needed to grow. “Before we grow, we need to sprout,” An later taught in a live Zoom call. “Before we sprout, we need to sow; and before we sow, we need to cultivate.” He referred to Jesus’ parable of the sower in Matthew 13: “Without plowing, the sown seed would fall by the roadside and be eaten up by birds.” Preacher An was especially thankful that both inside and outside the detention center Christians were “plowing the land” with their prayers.
Leaving a mark
In summary, some prisoners could be prayed for, and others needed to hear the full gospel. Meanwhile, others didn’t want to hear anything about Jesus. It was a success just to speak with them and establish a dialogue. Although many prisoners had hardened hearts, both men fought for the opportunity to share with others. An Yankui felt that prison ministry was a very arduous process, but their work left a clear imprint on those who spoke to them.
~Lemon, Contributor to ChinaAid
