11/07/2020 China (International Christian Concern) – Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC) elder Li Yingqiang risks having to move again, thanks to the local police’s pressure on his current landlord’s family.
Two weeks ago, Li and his family moved away from Chengdu, where his heavily persecuted house church is based, given the ongoing harassment and threats by the local police against him and his church members.
On November 6, he was notified by the daughter of his current landlord (who lives overseas) that the police in Leshan have repeatedly harassed her grandparents, demanding them to take back the keys to the apartment and kick Li and his family out.
He soon called the Leshan police and gave the contact information of his landlord, asking them not to disturb her family and that they should confirm with her their rental lease is valid.
It is common for the Chinese police to put pressure on landlords who rent their properties to house church Christians, human rights activists, or dissidents in China. Their goal is to force the tenants to give up their faith or causes by removing them from their residence. While the landlords typically give in and work with the authorities, the oppressed continue to fight for their rights despite having to move often.
Li is asking for prayers for his family so that they can have a dwelling place and that they can respond to the persecution with gentleness and become witnesses for Christ despite the hardships they face.
