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Pastor Spreads Good News In Chinese PrisonPastor Zhang Rongliang sits in a prison cell despite a judge’s previous statement that “insufficient evidence and ambiguous facts” surrounded his case, and that Zhang would be judged fairly. Zhang was sentenced in July 2006 to 7.5 years in prison for “attaining a passport through cheating” and “illegal border crossing.” Zhang, leader of the China for Christ house church movement, was arrested without charge on December 1, 2004. He had been detained five times before and had already spent a total of 12 years in prison. In December 2007, two Open Doors co-workers colleagues met with Zhang Rongliang’s elder son Zhang Junior to find out more about the situation of his father and mother, as well as the church.
Q. How is your father’s health right now?
A. My father has been suffering from severe diabetes, which was diagnosed in 1999, and needed to be controlled through medication. In July, his blood pressure became extremely high which caused him to suffer a stroke which paralyzed half his body.
When he got the stroke, the prison supervisor who was very friendly towards him, immediately sent him to the prison hospital for treatment. The Public Security Bureau (PSB) authorities there wanted him to get better quickly so that they could transfer him to another location because they didn’t want to be responsible if anything untoward occurred. When my father left the hospital facility, he still needed to be propped up by two persons. But he has now improved. There is only some numbness left in the fingers of one hand and in one foot; no slurring of speech or any other impairment.
Q. How is your mother? How often has she been able to visit your father?
A. After my father was moved to the prison in Kaifeng last year, my mother was permitted to visit him once a month. This year, since my father suffered the stroke, she was able to see him twice monthly, including while he was still being treated in hospital as he was not able to come out to see her.
Q. How long does it take for her to travel to the prison? How much time is she allowed with your father?
A. It takes her about an hour each way by public transport. She is given between 20 to 30 minutes with my father, no more. The guard will announce when the time’s up.
Q. Is she able to have any private moment with your father?
A. No, a guard is present at the side all throughout the meeting.
Q. How is your father doing spiritually? Is he able to do any ministry in the prison?
A. I believe his mind remains lucid and his spirit is strong. He has been preaching the Gospel, baptizing new believers, as well as breaking bread inside the prison. We’re able to provide him with grape juice in soft drink bottles for him to conduct Holy Communion.
Among his prison mates are hardcore criminals. One of them is a murderer who was transformed after receiving the Good News. He wrote to his mother to say, “Mother, when I die before the firing squad, I will go ahead and wait for you in heaven. You must believe in Jesus as your Savior, just as I have, so that we can meet again.” His mother was very moved after she read that letter.
And so my father continues to share the Good News even while in prison. In 2005 after he suffered from the stroke in the previous prison and was hospitalized, he left a bag of sunflower seeds for his cell-mates to consume. But one of his fellow prisoners said, “No, we will not eat them yet; we will wait until Christmas when we can partake of them together to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.” So on Christmas night, they distributed the seeds to close to 20 people in two adjoining cells and ate them together. After that, they sang songs and worshipped. That’s how they celebrated the Lord’s birthday.
Q. How many believers are there in prison with him?
A. I am not sure how many there are at this new prison because the prison guard’s post is right next to his cell. But in the previous one, there were more than 30.
Q: How can we continue to pray for all of you?
A. Please pray for my father’s health. It is still weak now after the stroke he had earlier this year which semi-paralyzed him. His diabetes continues to be in the serious stage.
Second, pray for our church to have a clear direction for our future. We are now preparing and equipping ourselves to move ahead in evangelism and missions. Pray for our mission plans.
Next, remember my mother in prayer. Pray for her heart to be strengthened and be more open so that she will not be so stressed by all that is happening.
Pray for my younger brother (who is in Bible school) and that he will know clearly how God wants him to use his spiritual gifts.
Lastly, pray that I might serve the Lord even better. (Zhang Jr. was recently elected to be the top leader of the China For Christ church.) |
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