08/25/2022 China (International Christian Concern) – On August 20, a Christian woman named Li Chunqing from Zhejiang province’s Wenzhou sent out an open prayer letter for her husband, Lin Xuesui, who was detained for attending Sunday worship.
On June 14, Lin was criminally detained by the Public Security Bureau for “organizing and supporting illegal gatherings” in Sichuan’s Gulin county. Two other Christians were also arrested under the same charge and kept at Gulin Detention Center.
On July 22, Lin was formally arrested, while the other two were released on bail pending trial.
According to Li, her husband was invited to a rural area in Gulin to visit Christians there prior to his arrest. He discovered that the good news had not been heard sufficiently and decided to stay. She finds it ridiculous that Lin is now labeled as a criminal who can endanger society.
“Based on relevant laws, it is not illegal for Christians to gather on Sunday, not to mention constituting a crime! We believe that vengeance belongs to the Lord. […] Please pray for Lin, and may God lead him so he can be strong and healthy; even incarcerated, he can be filled with peace and joy,” she said in the letter.
Meanwhile, the Civil Affairs Bureau of Wenzhou’s Lucheng District issued a notice to disband two seminaries on August 8.
Wenzhou Bowen Bible Institute and Wenzhou Bible Institute are considered “illegal social organizations” by the government for they failed to register.
Wenzhou Bible Institute was founded in 2007 and has produced more than 300 alumni, mostly from out of town. The latest crackdown shows the government’s intention to shut down religious institutes not vetted by the state.
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