China (MNN) — Increased crackdown in China has led to the
abduction of Pastor Hua Huiqi, according to the China Aid Association. Internationally known for his defense of house church rights, Pastor Hua was forced into a government car and taken into
police custody. No details were given to Hua's family, and they fear for
his safety.
Last week, officials
raided Hua's Tent-making Ministry in Beijing. Click here to read the full
story. Pastor Hua was returning from his "forced vacation" in the
Fengtai District when five Public Service Bureau (PSB) officials surrounded him
and invited him to dinner.
Claiming to want to
talk about last week's events over dinner, Hua secretly called his wife half an
hour later to tell her that he'd been forced into a PSB car. On a second call
he told her that PSB officers had taken him to an unknown location; family
members lost contact with him when the phone he was using went dead.
Pastor Hua is the
leader of Beijing's Tent-makers Christian Fellowship, which provides training
in basic job skills used for tent-making ministry. Hua and members of his
family have been arrested and tortured on numerous occasions for his leadership
in defending vulnerable people. In February, Hua's 79-year-old Christian mother
finished a two-year sentence for her human rights defense work.
On the night he was
abducted, a police officer visited Hua's home to pick up some clothes for him.
When Hua's wife asked what had happened to her husband and whether he was alive
or dead, the officer refused to answer, reportedly saying "Don't you know
who I am? I have no obligation to answer your questions!" after pointing
to his police badge.
Hua's mother, wife,
and daughter fear for his safety. One of the police officers who seized Hua was
identified as a man who had severely beaten Hua earlier this year.
Please pray for the lawful release of Pastor
Hua and for his protection during confinement. Pray also for protection over
China's house churches.
