Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin - No. 267 - Wed 14 Apr 2004

----------------------------- CHINA: PASTOR GONG SHENGLIANG -----------------------------

Pastor Gong Shengliang (53) is the founder and leader of the South China Church (SCC), an evangelical house-church fellowship with some 50,000 members across several provinces. In December 2001, he was convicted and sentenced to death under China's anti-cult legislation. Responding to intense international pressure, China dropped the religious charge and the death penalty and ordered a re-trial. Young women prisoners from the SCC were then savagely beaten, sexually molested and tortured with electric shock until they signed 'confessions' that Pastor Gong had raped them. They later recanted their 'confessions' and were sent to labour camps. However, Pastor Gong was convicted of multiple counts of rape and given a life sentence.

Pastor Gong has been greatly weakened physically by the torture he has suffered during interrogation, worsened further by the prison conditions and frequent mistreatment. Over several weeks in late May and early June 2003, he lapsed in and out of a coma and was bleeding internally. He nearly died from a savage beating in prison in June 2003. Intercessors around the world prayed for him. He lived, but his troubles have not ceased.

A 14 April update from Mr Bob Fu, President of the China Aid Association (CAA), advises that Pastor Gong was permitted a 10- minute visit by his three sisters on Monday 12 April. They report that, unable to walk, he had to be carried to the visiting hall by four other inmates. Pastor Gong told his sisters that he fears for his life and pleaded with them to see if they could have him transferred to another prison. His sisters asked him why he had stopped writing letters to those outside prison. Gong responded, 'I don't have the strength to write. When I pick up my pen, there are lots of troubles.'

CAA reports, 'When one of Gong's sisters complained of his injuries to the prison director, Sun Wenquan, she was told that Gong is a model prisoner in every respect except one: he refuses to denounce his faith in Christ, and he will not stop praying and preaching. "He is so into the Bible that he has lost touch with reality," the sisters were told.' Mr Fu says, '(Pastor Gong) has already spent 411 days with his arms and legs chained. Without God's help, this innocent man is not likely to survive many more weeks in Hongshan Prison.'

Pastor Gong's daughters, Xiaoyan and Huali, are dedicated full time evangelists. His wife Hu Guifang has been seriously traumatised and is in need of our prayers. Please post* Pastor Gong a card that clearly shows from where you are writing. Many words are not necessary (unless you write Chinese). It's best just to indicate you are a fellow believer and are praying for him. Even if the cards never get past prison officials, they make a powerful statement.

* Gong Shengliang Prison Section,Four Te Yi Hao Hongshan Prison, Miaoshan Development Zone Jiangxia District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA 430223

-----------------------------

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:

* God to intervene so that Pastor Gong will be moved to safety (or have his safety guaranteed), be treated for injuries, and that he will receive justice, which will mean at the very least his release and the overturning of this unjust conviction.

'The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice ... so his own arm worked salvation for him.' (Isaiah 59:15b,16b) 'Many seek an audience with a ruler, it is from the Lord that man gets justice.' (Proverbs 29:26)

* Pastor Gong to be filled with divine strength from the Holy Spirit - the strength that enables weakened and stressed believers to rise up as if on eagle's wings, far above their own capacity or circumstances. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

* God to continue to richly bless the Chinese Church with spiritual power and a continual inflow of new believers, so that eventually and in greater and greater measure, the Chinese Church may be a source of righteousness and justice and God's rich blessings to China. (Isaiah 55:10-13)

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SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE: ------------------------------------------------------------ CHINA: PASTOR GONG SHENGLIANG

Pastor Gong Shengliang (53) is the founder and leader of the South China Church, an evangelical house-church fellowship with some 50,000 members across several provinces. In December 2001 he was sentenced to death under China's anti-cult laws. Intense international pressure led to that charge and sentence being overturned. In early 2002 Pastor Gong was re-tried, convicted of crimes he did not commit and given a life sentence. He survived the torture of his interrogation as well as a beating in June 2003 that nearly cost him his life. The China Aid Association (CAA) reports that on 12 April 2004, Gong's three sisters were permitted to have a 10-minute visit with him. He had to be carried to the visiting hall as he could not walk. The CAA believes Pastor Gong may not survive much longer under these conditions. Please pray for strength and for justice.

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Elizabeth Kendal researched and authored this message.

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