"Hallelujah! We will continue the ministry and fight for religious freedom," Pastor Bike told China Aid.

Pastor Bike leads the Chinese House Church Alliance, comprised of over 250,000 members. On March 21, Mingxuan was arrested by over a dozen Beijing officials and interrogated before being sent to local police. The cell phones and cards were returned by Beijing officials, but they kept the money. China Aid released information about the arrest internationally.

The response from international believers on Pastor Bike's behalf held the Chinese government accountable, which led directly to the return of Mingxuan's funds. China Aid and Pastor Bike thank believers worldwide for their involvement.

Zhang Jian reported to China Aid that he was called to his mother's apartment when officers entered her home forcibly to evict the family and began throwing their belongings onto the street. Zhang Jian arrived to find his mother shoved to ground and his younger brother injured by the intruders. Zhang Jian was then beaten by 15 Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers with iron bars for 25 minutes, according to his mother, Xie Fenglan.

When the officers left, Xie Fenglan attempted to call an ambulance, but the receptionist told her that a government official had forbidden the dispatch of an ambulance to Pastor Bike's home.

Zhang Jian was taken to the hospital by a friend and regained consciousness the next day. His nose and eye bone were broken, and doctors are unsure whether he'll regain eye sight. Even though his physical condition is serious and more treatment is needed, Zhang Jian has left the
hospital because PSB officers were watching him there, and he feared for his safety.

All nearby hotels were prohibited from housing the Zhang family; they are now staying with friends.

The family has not been able to contact Pastor Bike, who was traveling
at the time of the attacks, and they fear authorities have detained
him.

Persecution is not new to this family. Pastor Bike has been arrested 26 times during his ministry, and his house church (which had received government approval) was recently boarded up and shut down.

These setbacks have not stopped the Christian movement in China, however. Pastor Bike has continued to ride from place to place, spreading the life-changing news of the Gospel, supported by hundreds of other Chinese believers.

Pray for Zhang Jian to make a full recovery and for his family to obtain the money to pay the hospital bills. Pray that the Lord would continue to move in China, and that His people would be strengthened and encouraged despite persecution for their faith.

In Matthew 10:22 we find Jesus' words to His followers, "All men will hate you because of Me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."

57,000- that was the number of signatures on 617 pages of the petition. Bob Fu, founder of CAA, is continuously campaigning for religious freedom for persecuted believers in
China. He indicated that not only the petition, but the speedy response to the
petition, was a shot of encouragement to both "Bike" and the entire community of underground Chinese believers.

"It is encouraging in the sense that Chinese believers know they are not isolated. The hardest thing for a prisoner is isolation. But when the Chinese brothers and sisters know that over 50,000 brothers and sisters signed their signatures and expressed their support in prayer, that's a huge encouragement to them," said Fu.

Although Pastor Bike has been released, he is not allowed to enter Beijing until mid-September. Right now, there are many others who are in similar situations. A Beijing bookstore owner by the name of Shi Weihan also has been imprisoned and tortured illegally in a Beijing Detention Center. 

Fu urges believers to continue to pray for religious freedom. In the letter delivered to the Chinese embassy, CAA explained that by allowing Chinese citizens personal freedoms, they will be addressing a need even deeper than physical protection from persecution. The letter explained that this freedom will strengthen the people and the country for honorable
prosperity. 

Though Pastor Bike's release was uplifting, he is not entirely out of the line of fire. "He is a continued target by the Chinese government and their security apparatus. He is still not able to minister in Beijing where he used to be, and his church was closed. The orphanage that he used to minister to before the Olympics was forced to close," said Fu.

Fu's request for prayer for Pastor Bike can also be a prayer for the entire body of underground believers: "Continue to pray for him and his family that the Lord will protect, sustain, and strengthen him for his continuous fight for religious freedom."