(Bengbu, Anhui Province – January 21, 2024) According to the prayer letter issued by Cornerstone Reformed Church in Bengbu, Anhui province on January 7, 2024, it was revealed that Pastor Wan Changchun, Elder Xue Shaoqiang, Cao Binting, and Wan Chunqin of the church have been prosecuted to the court by local Procuratorate on suspicion of ” fraud”.
In the prayer letter, Cornerstone Reformed Church expresses gratitude to churches and believers for nearly nine months of prayer and concern for the church. It also reveals that Pastor Wan Changchun’s father is experiencing a continuous decline in intelligence due to cerebral infarction, and Pastor Wan’s wife and three children miss him dearly. Elder Xue Shaoqiang’s wife underwent heart surgery last year. Wan Chunqin’s husband has passed away, leaving two children in need of their mother’s companionship. Cao Binting’s wife and parents are also concerned about him. The church requests everyone to pray for these imprisoned believers and their families. Cornerstone Reformed Church declares that Christian’s donation is a tradition of Christian churches for over two thousand years and is also a teaching of the Bible. The church expresses shock at the “fraud” charge, finding it inconsistent with the facts. They pray for God’s mercy on all personnel involved in handling the case, hoping for a fair and just trial.
On April 11, 2023, Pastor Wan Changchun was arrested by Bengbu police in Lijiang, Yunnan province while serving, with the alleged charge of “illegal business operations.” He is currently detained in Bengbu City Detention Center. Elder Xue Shaoqiang, Pastor Wan Changchun’s elder sister Wan Chunqin, co-worker Cao Binting, and another male Christian were also criminally detained one after another, all on the same charge. Other elders and deacons of the church were also summoned. The church’s finance were comprehensively searched, and accounts were frozen.
On May 18, 2023, with the approval of Bengbu YuHui District People’s Procuratorate, the charge against Pastor Wan Changchun were changed, and he was arrested by the YuHui District Public Security Bureau under the charge of “fraud.” YuHui District Public Security Bureau, on the same grounds, also prosecuted these four co-workers, as well as Pastor Wan Changchun’s wife, You Xiulin, on the charge of “fraud” at YuHui District People’s Procuratorate. In response to these accusations, the church has publicly stated multiple times that these four people did not commit “fraud” against anyone; the brothers and sisters are aware that they have not been deceived. All donations are voluntary, and the church’s expenditures are transparent and open. In summary, no one admits to being defrauded. Nevertheless, Bengbu Mahui District People’s Procuratorate still proceeded to prosecute them on the charge of “fraud” before the court.
On January 8, 2024, which marked Pastor Wan Changchun’s 43rd birthday, Pastor Wan’s wife, You Xiulin, posted an article for her husband. Despite facing numerous challenges, she stated her willingness to walk the path of faith hand in hand with her husband, awaiting each other in prayer. In her article on her husband’s birthday, You Xiulin conveyed her feelings of missing Pastor Wan Changchun after nearly nine months of separation. She said, “Sometimes, I truly wish I could turn into a breeze and fly into your embrace. As long as you are there, I am not afraid of any hardship. On this special day, I really miss you.”
In the concluding remarks of the birthday letter to her husband, You Xiulin said:
“Anticipating to wait for each other in daily prayers, love is not restricted by iron bars, doesn’t need approval, and transcends time and space to meet with you. In the deepest part of our hearts, we are more closely connected… because none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”
