“Take on the full armour against the power of the dark world”
[Jul.16.2023] A Chinese pastor of the Mayflower Church, who recently settled in the United States after seeking asylum three times to avoid religious persecution, warned that “many Christians in China are still facing oppression by the Communist Party.
According to the American Christian Post (CP), Pastor Pan Yongguang spoke outside the U.S. Capitol on the 12th (local time) before attending an interfaith event chaired by Congressman Mike Gallagher of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
In November 2019, 63 members and Pastor Pan of “Mayflower Church” arrived at South Korea’s Jeju Island fleeing from threats and interrogation by Chinese Police. They later went to Bangkok, Thailand, hoping to get refugee status from the United Nations but were detained in an immigration detention centre. They were released on parole in April, four years after fleeing China, and are currently living in Tyler, Texas, after close cooperation between various government officials and agencies.
Pastor Pan expressed his gratitude to God “who brought every one of us to the U.S.” Pastor Pan also thanked Republican Party Congressman Chris Smith, Republican Party Congressman Nathaniel Moran, and Deana Brown, founder and CEO of Freedom Seekers International who advocated for the Mayflower Church.
He made an appeal “Many religious people in China, including my friend and pastor Wang Yi of the Early Rain Covenant Church, who is currently incarcerated, are still being oppressed by the Chinese authorities.” He pleaded “The U.S. government should put pressure on persecutors in China.”
Pastor Bob Fu, the founder of ChinaAid, who interpreted Pastor Pan, also accused, “The Chinese Communist Party has begun a war on faith,” adding, “They fined pastors for placing collection boxes in the church, arresting them for crimes, and even torturing them to fabricate evidence.”
“The Chinese Communist Party is forcing Christians to ‘completely’ and ‘totally’ submit their faith to the government,” he said, stressing that “the freedom of religion is the basis of all freedoms.”
“In churches throughout Henan Province, the Chinese Communist Party replaced the Ten Commandments with a quote from Chinese President Xi Jinping,” Gallagher said in an interfaith discussion on China’s suppression of religious freedom and he lamented, “Xi Jinping said that since he and the Chinese Communist Party play the role of God, there is no problem with the first commandment of ‘You shall have no other gods before me’.”
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, stand. (Ephesians 6:12-13)
God, pray for the churches of all nations to take up their full armour and fight the spiritual war as we hear the news that the Chinese Communist Party is increasingly blaspheming Your name and persecuting the churches. May the church in China stand firm in faith and hold tight the hope in Christ even under strict surveillance and oppression. And bless the Mayflower church members to be the embers of the gospel in the place where they moved and bring the people of the nations to You. Also, let Xi Jinping and the Communist Party, who are trying to gain power by making themselves idols, stop the rebellion, and submit to Your authority.
Prayer 24·365
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