Five Linfen Church Leaders Released After 2 Years in Labor Camp: Glorifying God in Trials & Tribulations

Here's a great praise report from our friends at China Aid. Praise the Lord!

China Aid Association

(Linfen, Shanxi – Aug. 27, 2011) Five leaders of the Linfen house church that was brutally destroyed two years ago by local officials and hired thugs who also severely beat church members have been released after serving two years in a labor camp, ChinaAid has learned. Five other leaders who were given longer sentences are still incarcerated.

The Linfen case was one of the largest cases of religious persecution in recent years. On Sept. 13, 2009, 400 local police, government officials and hired thugs descended upon the church, demolished its new building and clashed with hundreds of the 50,000 members of the Linfen church network who rushed to defend their church. Dozens were severely beaten, and more than 30 were hospitalized with critical injuries. (A short account and photographs can be seen here: http://www.helplinfen.com/2011/04/persecution-photos.html)

By November, 10 church leaders had been illegally detained. Five were sentenced to prison terms ranging up to seven years during a one-day show trial, and five others were sentenced to the labor camp terms.

The five who were released were four women: Gao Fuqin, Zhao Guoai, Yang Caizhen and Yang Hongzhen (from left to right in photo above), all of whom served their time at the Taiyuan Women’s Re-education-Through-Labor Camp. Also released was Li Shuangpin. (Double click on photo above to enlarge.)

Yang Caizhen was released on medical parole in February, after she nearly died due to a liver ailment. The others were released last month. Yang’s husband is still imprisoned, serving a 3-1/2 year sentence.

Police are still occupying the site where Linfen’s church’s Jindengtai (Golden Lampstand) church building once stood, and the church’s tens of thousands of believers have scattered like lost sheep, although they have continued to meet and worship in their homes.

The release of these five leaders has been a great encouragement and unifying event for these believers. Although each was physically and psychologically tormented during their two years in the labor camp, all five were strong and at peace spiritually and reported experiencing “glory in the midst of trials and tribulations.”

The five also said, “We sincerely urge all brothers and sisters around the world to pray for Linfen church, so that we may worship together in the Golden Lampstand church building at an early date. At the same time, we also ask brothers and sisters to remember in prayer the Linfen leaders who are still suffering in jail: Brothers Xiao Guang, Yang Xuan and Cui Jiaxing, and sisters Yang Rongli and Zhang Huamei. May the Lord move the police to release them early so that they can be reunited with their families. We who have been released express our most sincere gratitude to the brothers and sisters around the world who have been concerned about us and who have helped us. May God remember your prayers and what you did. God is with as all!”

ChinaAid founder and president Bob Fu said in response, “The Linfen church leaders and their families suffered cruel persecution for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the church. They paid the price with great honor for the sake of the Gospel. We express our great respect for them, and continue to lift up prayers for them and their families. These loyal and devoted brothers and sisters are not only the hope of the church, but also are the hope of Chinese society.”

Read more at China Aid.