The church in China has been repressed since the Communist Party came to power in 1949. Ideological control relaxed as part of China’s admission into the World Trade Organization in 2001, but repression has intensified significantly since Xi Jinping came to power in 2013. My city, Shenzhen, is adjacent to Hong Kong and is known as the most open and dynamic city in China, but the church there has also faced severe repression. For many years, the secret police monitored my movements and often asked me to report on church activities.

Many times during worship, the police barged in and forced us to stop.