Your Voice Was Heard!

We just received word from Pastor “Bike” that he has been released from Chinese custody. Pastor Bike was in good spirits and extended thanks to all those who prayed and were willing to sign the petition for his release. He believed this petition drive was part of the reason the officials released him along with his wife and co-worker.

We will still deliver a printed copy of all the signatures collected to the Chinese embassy next week, along with a THANK YOU LETTER to express appreciation for the release of our Christian brothers and sister. Continue to add your voice, and encourage your friends, so that we can let the Chinese government know how many Christians care about persecution in China.

We will have a full update next week.

Praise God for answered prayer!

--The Voice of the Martyrs and China Aid Association

Pastor Bike Free

Petition drive turns into thank you campaign

On Friday, August 29, prominent Chinese house church leader, Pastor Zhang Mingxuan, affectionately known as "Pastor Bike", his wife and a co-worker were released from Chinese custody. Instead of being held at a prison or a detention center, the three were taken to resort hotels on a "forced vacation" designed to ensure that they couldn’t talk to any foreign media. All three believers are in good health and spirits and praising God for their release, according to the China Aid Association. The detainees said that during their confinement they had opportunities to witness to guards and even high-ranking government officials staying at the hotels where they were held.

Pastor Bike was arrested along with his wife and co-worker on August 6, two days before the Olympic Games began in Beijing. Pastor Bike, an outspoken evangelist, has travelled, on his bike, to many places in China, handing out Christian literature and Bibles and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

On August 26 The Voice of the Martyrs and China Aid Association launched an international online petition drive advocating for Pastor Bike, his wife and co-worker to be released. On September 4, China Aid Association delivered the petition to the Embassy of China in Washington, DC, including a letter to Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong and more than 57,000 names, printed on 619 pages. The names were of those who had signed the online petition to free Pastor "Bike," his wife and their coworker. Included was a letter thanking the Chinese government for releasing these house-church Christians.

"We are thankful to the thousands of people who added their voice to our call for Pastor Bike’s release," said Todd Nettleton of The Voice of the Martyrs—USA. "Sometimes we wonder if we can really make a difference for persecuted Christians. This online petition drive shows clearly that we can."

VOM and China Aid praise God for the release of these three Christians, and encourage you to continue to pray for them and other believers in China.

Petition being delivered to Chinese Embassy in Washington

Pastor Bike standing with Anna, an orphan girl who has also been persecuted by the Chinese government.

About one minute into this video report by the BBC on China's crackdown on dissidence, Pastor Zhang "Bike" Mingxuan is seen being forcibly detained by Chinese authorities. He was released shortly after the incident but was arrested again on August 6, two days before the Olympic Games opening ceremonies.