Forced underground

Jinyi* froze at the sound of footsteps. She glanced at the faces of the young people – more than 100 of them – gathered in the dark room. Then, Jinyi’s worst fears were realised…

The door burst open, and Chinese police officers swarmed in. Panic took over. Believers were rounded up. Jinyi’s husband Zhang*, the house church leader, was arrested and imprisoned.

Jinyi and her husband’s secret, underground church was no more. But for this mother-of-two, the ordeal was just beginning…

With her husband in prison, Jinyi had no way to provide for her children. In desperation, she reached out to local churches. But instead of receiving help, Jinyi was rejected. People feared the authorities and did not want to be associated with an underground church.

“I felt hurt and disappointed,” says Jinyi, who had been involved in student ministry for years. “In that loneliness, I struggled to hold on.”

Always watching

Jinyi’s story is all too common in China, where the state is tightening its grip on religion. Surveillance is everywhere, laws are increasingly controlling, and the authorities have ways to threaten church leaders. An “invitation to tea”, for example, is a warning: you are being watched.

Under intense pressure, there’s a risk these secret churches will simply disappear. But incredibly, and with the right support, underground churches can grow…

When Jinyi was all alone – her husband in prison, her faith shaken – our Open Doors local partners stepped in. They visited Jinyi, helped her practically, prayed with her, and strengthened her. Soon, this courageous woman was ready to serve again.

“The calling I once received from God came alive again,” says Jinyi. She started meeting young people to encourage them. Now, Jinyi’s ministry includes 10 underground small groups reaching more than 70 young people – and faith is growing.

Persevering

“There have been countless moments when I wanted to give up,” says Jinyi. “My husband is still in prison, and our gatherings must remain underground. As a leader, I feel isolated. But your support and encouragement make me feel less alone and less afraid.”

Underground churches like Jinyi’s in China are under pressure. Your gifts are vital to providing persecution training, offering practical aid, and distributing Christian literature where it’s needed.

Our persecuted brothers and sisters, who share our faith but not our freedom, depend on your support. Jinyi says, “I find comfort and strength knowing you are with me on the path of serving the Lord.”

Please pray

• For Jinyi. Ask the Lord to strengthen and comfort her, and provide for her family.
• That Jinyi’s husband, Zhang, will soon be safely released from prison.
• For underground churches bravely meeting across China, that God will protect them.

Please give

• Every R455 could give practical, medical, legal and pastoral support to an underground believer.
• Every R680 could train underground believers to persist through persecution and support others.
• Every R1 085 could build future underground churches through a youth leadership programme.

*Names changed to protect them.