Formal Acceptance of Administrative Reconsideration Application
(Zhenxiong, Yunnan, China – December 19, 2024) On December 4, 2024, rural preacher Chang Hao from Zhenxiong County, Yunnan, received a “Notice of Hearing Opinions” from the Administrative Reconsideration Office of the Zhenxiong County People’s Government, formally accepting Chang Hao’s application for administrative reconsideration.
The Baptism Gathering and Police Raid
On October 14, 2024, Pastor Cao Sanqiang (John Cao) traveled from Changsha, Hunan to visit Preacher Chang Hao in Zhenxiong. The church led by Preacher Chang Hao had several new believers who needed to be baptized. Out of respect for church tradition, Chang Hao invited Pastor Cao Sanqiang to perform the baptisms. On October 15, Pastor Cao Sanqiang baptized thirteen new believers.
As Chang Hao announced the end of the baptism gathering, more than twenty police officers suddenly stormed the venue, ordered everyone to hand over their phones, and conducted body searches. Subsequently, the police used more than a dozen police cars to take all the attendees to the Zhenxiong County Public Security Bureau.
That night, all other Christians were sent home, Pastor Cao Sanqiang was taken directly back to Changsha by police dispatched from the Changsha Public Security Bureau, and Chang Hao was detained for 12 days. It is reported that this was Chang Hao’s twentieth administrative detention, each time for the same reason: illegal preaching.
Refusal to Join the Three-Self Church
On the morning of October 27, Chang Hao completed his 12-day administrative detention and walked out of the Zhenxiong County Detention Center. Community workers drove him directly to the Poji Town Police Station, where he was interviewed by the Deputy Secretary of the town, the Director and Deputy Director of the Religious Affairs Bureau, the Head of the National Security Brigade of Zhenxiong County, and the Head of the National Security Brigade of the city.
They asked Chang Hao to register or join the Three-Self Church. Chang Hao firmly stated,
“It is impossible to persuade me to give up my faith. Not to mention imprisonment, even if it means losing my head, I will still believe.”
Subsequently, Chang Hao applied for administrative reconsideration with the Zhenxiong County People’s Government.
Past Imprisonment and Continued Determination
In mid-May this year, Preacher Chang Hao had just been released from prison after serving a sentence of more than a year. On April 14, 2023, Chang Hao was taken away by the Zhenxiong Public Security Bureau, later arrested on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” and secretly tried in the Zhenxiong Court, where he was sentenced to one year and one month in prison.
Upcoming Hearing and Chang Hao’s Faith
The notice Chang Hao received yesterday indicated that, due to his dissatisfaction with the administrative penalty decision made by the Zhenxiong County Public Security Bureau, he applied for administrative reconsideration.
It is now decided to hold a centralized face-to-face hearing at the Zhenxiong County People’s Government Administrative Reconsideration Office at 9 a.m. on December 12, 2024 (Thursday). Chang Hao stated that when he was arrested last July, he also applied for administrative reconsideration, which was accepted, and he received the reconsideration result during the same period. He said,
“It is predictable what kind of judgment conclusion will be reached today due to official collusion; but I will follow the Lord’s will to do what should be done, believing that the Lord has His good will.”
(Reported by Lemon, a special correspondent for ChinaAid)
