Chen Wesheng, who has been arrested more than 100 times, was arrested on June 16 with other evangelists after preaching the gospel on a train. He and his associates were first transported to the hospital for a physical exam and the Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT), a type of viral diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 according to china aid.org.
Afterward, they were held in the Wenzhou Guidao District Bureau of Public Security. Later they were taken to the Wenzhou Detention and held in custody for 10 days.
During the arrest, Shao, one of the Christians traveling with Chen, told the authorities, “You do not have the right to detain us. We are the Lord Jesus’ servants. If He does not allow you to detain us, none of you can.”
Prior to this arrest, The Public Security Bureau of Suining County filed a 15-day administrative arrest charge against Chen for “disturbing public order” for preaching the Gospel on the streets of Suining County, Shaoyang City on May 21. Despite the administrative arrest, on June 16, he and his house church family made a bold decision to travel on a train in Wenzhou and preach, where they were apprehended.
Arrested over 100 times for preaching, Wenheng’s wife contacted him on June 17 while he was in prison. She informed him that officials from the Hengyang Municipal State Security Department, as well as the United Front Work Department, contacted her and asked her to urge him to stop.
Wenshang had received several threats against his family from authorities as well. Particularly, two against his daughter-in-law and granddaughter. His granddaughter was warned by Chinese Communist Party officers that if Chen continued openly preaching the Gospel, they would not only remove her from public service but also block Chen’s granddaughter from going on the National Civil Servant Examination or school teaching.
The threats have not persuaded Chen to stop what he is doing. He said, “Thank God for granting my family the opportunity to learn the lesson about the cross and suffering because of proclaiming the gospel. He will be responsible for this and hold us through it. Glory be to God.”
However, police received an unexpected directive from the Public Security Bureau stating that the case investigation had been terminated. Chen expressed gratitude in a WeChat post.
“Thank the Lord Jesus for intervening in this affair. Thank God for letting us wear the gospel T-shirt this morning while three police officers transported us [handcuffed] to the hospital and express train station,” he said. “Today, while we took every opportunity to proclaim the gospel to others, many read the gospel account printed on our shirts. May God have mercy on the world and save more sinners. Amen.”