Release International

Yet another prominent house church leader has been formally arrested for printing and distributing Christian literature.

Pastor Wang Zaiqing, who is disabled, is being held at the No.1 Detention Centre of Huainan City in Anhui Province, on charges of 'being involved in illegal business practices'. The Domestic Security Protection Squad of the Public Security Bureau issued the formal arrest warrant to Pastor Wang's wife Zhang Hongyan on May 26. Back in April, the authorities had searched their house and Christian literature had been seized. So too was an electronic piano belonging to Pastor Wang's daughter, according to China Aid. Pastor Wang was detained two days later.

Forty-three-year-old Pastor Wang, who was disabled through illness aged five, has been printing Christian literature and distributing it free of charge. He became a Christian in 1993 and was soon a well-known church-planter and preacher across several provinces.

His is the third high-profile case recently. As 7x7 reported on May 23, the same charge has been levelled at Pastor Liu Yuhua, arrested in Shadong Province. Pastor Cai Zhuohua from Beijing was given a three-year sentence last year for printing Christian literature.

• Praise God for the determination of Pastor Wang who has spread the Gospel for years, despite his disability. Pray that he will continue that work in jail.
• Pray that Chinese society would recognise this arrest for what it is: a thinly-veiled attempt to persecute Christians by criminalising their activities.

Back to top