A house church pastor in China’s Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, who was released from prison in December 2015, has been repeatedly harassed and threatened even after years of regaining freedom.
Huang Yizi, the pastor of Fengwo Tang Church, was imprisoned twice for resisting the Chinese government’s infamous cross removal campaign in 2014, where thousands of crosses were demolished by force.
Pastor Huang recently revealed on an independent media that some local authorities continue to intimidate him on a regular basis. A police officer named Zheng constantly asks people to threaten Pastor Huang, warning him that they will put him in jail again. Not long ago, Zheng Shasha, an official of Fengwo town Religion Bureau, visited Huang’s church and told the congregants that Pastor Huang was not qualified for preaching due to his previous incarceration. Her accusation was refuted by Huang’s congregants.
According to China Aid, although Pastor Huang was infuriated by the official’s behavior and wanted to report her, he was reminded of Pauls’ teaching in Romans in the Bible, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it[a] to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” He decided to forego his plan.
Pastor Huang said that the Religion and Ethnic Affairs Bureau will not be able to threaten him, for he has prepared for two years and is ready to be incarcerated for the sake of sharing gospel. He added that he does not like anything concerning politics, whoever is in power does not matter to him; he also does not have exchange with people from overseas. He is solely determined to spread the gospel and carry his cross, and those are his only hopes. Even though he has been repeatedly menaced in recent years, God has kept him and his family safe.
Pastor Huang also sent out a prayer request in early 2021, stating that he is still not free although he was released five years ago and is constantly surveilled, summoned, and detained. His sermons online were forcibly deleted. He sensed that he could be imprisoned for the 3rd time and asked God to have mercy on him and for people to pray for him.
