China

Interview opportunity with leading China persecution campaigner Bob Fu, in the UK in March with Release International. Also new book on persecution.

China 1 e1688574002279

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Former house church leader, prisoner of faith, and one of the leading voices for the persecuted Church in China, Bob Fu contends that the persecution of Christians in China is worsening and is now as severe as at any time since the Cultural Revolution.

Bob Fu, one of the original Chinese pro-democracy campaigners and founder of China Aid, is available for interview in London on March 17. He is the keynote speaker at the event, I will not abandon them.

Despite the increasingly open persecution of Christians in China, the growth of Christianity there seems unstoppable. ‘Under communism, Christianity has grown from one million Christians in China to an estimated 100 million today,’ says Bob Fu.

Some sociologists project that number of Chinese Christians will exceed 220 million by 2030 – making China the largest Christianised nation in the world. Meanwhile, China is arresting pastors, pulling down crosses and demolishing churches. Christian human rights lawyers claim they are being intimidated and tortured, and lawyer Li Baiguang, who had been an outspoken campaigner for religious freedom, died in suspicious circumstances little more than a week ago.

Bob Fu will be speaking on March 17 at St Michael’s Church, 4 Chester Square, London SW1W 9HH from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. There will be limited time for interviews after the event.

If you would like to attend the event, please confirm no later than March 13. And if you would like to interview Bob Fu there, or on a different occasion, please confirm that this week.

Time has also been set aside for interviews in Orpington on March 15. These could be either face-to-face or over the phone. Should you wish to interview Bob Fu on either date, please respond this week, stating your preferred option, Thursday March 15 in Orpington, or Saturday March 17 in London.

Release International has produced a new book, Promise and Persecutiona Biblical theology of suffering for Christ. The book, by minister and journalist Kenneth Harrod, with a foreword by J John, will be launched at the London conference. Should you require a hard copy of the book, please contact Release on 01689 823491.

Says Kenneth Harrod: ‘In the West Christians have long assumed religious freedom will always be part of the world they live in. Do we have a faith – and an understanding of God and his Word – that is big enough to understand and to cope with persecution? Promise and Persecution helps us to understand and respond to the persecution of Christians.’

In his foreword, Canon J. John writes:

‘I want to welcome this thoughtful and wise book on the biblical theology of persecution. What is surely significant is that today, even those of a positive frame of mind are prepared to consider the possibility that things may soon change to the point at which holding to any sort of authentic Christianity is going to be very difficult. The ‘Christian Moral Capital’ built up over centuries of Christian teaching and preaching has long since been spent and we are badly overdrawn.

‘It is perfectly likely that it will soon be very difficult – indeed, in some areas and social settings it already is – to share your faith with someone who holds different views, to run a Christian Union, to talk about biblical standards, to wear a cross or to invite people to church without risk of reprimand, criticism or even legal action. In such an environment the temptation to keep your faith private and secret is going to be irresistible. Sharing your faith is never the easiest of things; even the slightest shadow of persecution is going to make it harder.

‘Persecution is something we need to think about, talk about and pray about. Above all we need to have a firm biblical background, and that is exactly where this book, scholarly and readable, rooted in theology and utterly relevant, is of enormous help.’

Kenneth Harrod will also be available for interview on Saturday March 17. Again, if you would like to arrange an interview with him, please respond this week.

Release International is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Through its international network of missions, UK-based Release serves persecuted Christians by supporting pastors and Christian prisoners and their families, supplying Christian literature and Bibles, and working for justice.

ENDS

Note to Editor

To arrange an interview with Bob Fu or Kenneth Harrod, please call Andrew Boyd on 07919 311993 or 01903 744993 before Saturday March 10.

For more information, please contact Andrew Boyd on the numbers above, or Release International on 01689 823491

andrewboydconsultant@btinternet.com

6.3.18