Editor’s note: Wang Xianheng recently passed away. To commemorate his life, his son wrote this account of his father and his experiences. The article was widely circulated on the Internet, and we have decided to re-publish it on our blog in two parts; this is the first of those two. This is a moving account of a life lived to follow and serve the Lord, despite the steep cost it incurred. As this generation of Chinese believers finishes their earthly races, it is important to remember their sacrifices and triumphs. They laid the foundation for the modern Chinese house church, and left behind a rich legacy of faith.
This article has been slightly edited, with a few details such as proper names and addresses removed.
Life Foundations
My father, Wang Xiangheng, was born on December 23, 1938, in Hengyang, Hunan Province, and was raised in a Christian family and church. His father was a devout man who loved the Lord, and his mother was selfless in her love for others. During his childhood, while fleeing from the Japanese invasion with his parents, my father repeatedly experienced God’s miraculous guidance and deliverance, leading to his unwavering faith in God.
In 1950, at the age of 12, my father moved with his parents and four sisters to Beijing. He lived in that same address until his passing.
When he was 14, my mischievous father was sent by his father to Grace Garden in Xiangshan, Beijing, for reflection. It was during this time that he experienced a clear spiritual rebirth and genuine repentance. Shortly thereafter, during the summer of 1954, at the 15th Beijing Christian Students Spiritual Retreat, he was filled mightily with the Holy Spirit and fully dedicated himself to living for the Lord for the rest of his life.
While fleeing from the Japanese invasion with his parents, my father repeatedly experienced God’s miraculous guidance and deliverance, leading to his unwavering faith in God.
In 1956, my father was admitted to the Medical Department of Beijing Medical University. Due to his commitment to attending Christian student gatherings and his straightforward nature, he was labeled a “backward element” during his university years and often faced criticism and exclusion. Amid these struggles and searches, he came to a clear understanding: suffering with Christ is the life pattern of all who follow Jesus. From then on, his love for God, his pure heart, and his willingness to carry the cross for the Lord became the foundation of his life.
During his university years, my father met my mother, and they were married in 1963. They had two sons, born in 1968 and 1973.
After graduating from university, my father was assigned to work as a surgeon at Xuanwu Hospital, where he served until his retirement in 1998 as Chief Surgeon and Professor. He continued practicing in the surgical outpatient department at Xuanwu Hospital until 2013.
Faithful and Steadfast
Between 1974 and 1979, due to his steadfast Christian faith, my father was arrested and imprisoned for five years by the government on charges of “counter-revolutionary activities.” After his release in 1979, the upright leadership of Xuanwu Hospital, despite resistance from the Public Security Bureau, reinstated my father as a practicing surgeon. The following year, they also transferred my mother from Shacheng, Hebei Province, to Xuanwu Hospital, reuniting the couple, who had been separated for 19 years.
In 1994, my father underwent a total gastrectomy for early-stage stomach cancer. After recovering from surgery, my father became involved in a Christian international medical service organization. As a volunteer, he dedicated himself for 19 years to poverty alleviation work in the Yi ethnic region of Liangshan, Sichuan Province.
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Due to his steadfast Christian faith, my father was arrested and imprisoned for five years by the government on charges of “counter-revolutionary activities.”
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Beginning in 1996, my father and mother started hosting regular Sunday gatherings in their home at Jiaodaokou, where they held worship services including preaching, communion, and baptisms. This eventually led to the establishment of the “Jiaodaokou Church.” In 2017, my father officially retired from the leadership of the church and from his role in the church’s ministry team. However, he continued to serve God’s children in various locations through preaching, leading communion services, and facilitating retreats until his hospitalization in June 2023.
On June 27, 2023, my father was admitted to Xuanwu Hospital with pneumonia. Over the following 11 months, he was hospitalized repeatedly due to various illnesses, and received meticulous care from both old and new colleagues. Throughout his hospitalization, my father remained peaceful and joyful, treating others with humility. The peace, smiles, and prayers he expressed from his hospital bed continually spoke of the heavenly glory, bearing witness to the unseen, resurrected Jesus.
Marked with Suffering
On August 5, 2024, my father peacefully returned to his heavenly home, resting in the arms of the Lord, reunited with the Savior he loved and longed for throughout his life.
My father’s life was marked by “much suffering and frequent sorrow.”” Yet, the goodness and simplicity inherent in his nature were not worn down by external adversities and oppression.
Because of his deep faith and commitment to following Jesus Christ, my father’s life was marked by “much suffering and frequent sorrow.” Yet, the goodness and simplicity inherent in his nature were not worn down by external adversities and oppression. On the contrary, they became even more pronounced and enriched through his pursuit of the Lord and the wondrous work of the Holy Spirit. These qualities, along with other virtues and character traits, were refined into a life of extraordinary beauty, admired and loved by many.
This article was written by Wang Xianheng’s son.
Pray for elderly Chinese Christians, whose lives are a testimony to God’s faithfulness and goodness over many years of suffering.
