Editor’s note: At the beginning of 2026, we are praying for the persecuted church in China. This is the third and final part of an interview with Lu Rongyu (check out parts one and two), who is finally home after spending several years in jail. He talks candidly about what it’s really like to share Jesus with his persecutors, how he stayed close to God while he was in jail without a Bible, and how he hopes to help encourage his own church to persevere through persecution. We hope reading these experiences helps us to better remember and pray for brothers and sisters in China who are experiencing persecution because they follow Jesus.
Sharing Faith with Persecutors
China Partnership: When you share the gospel with government officials and talk about faith, what is their attitude like? Are they open, or do they respond in ways that feel offensive?
Lu Rongyu: From what I’ve seen, state security has a totally different style than the local police. Police officers are rougher – they think they have state power, and speak very harshly. But state security are often very polite, even humble. Maybe their motive is trying to gather more information, or maybe they are just preparing for future work. But whatever the motive, it seems like they are a totally different group. They may have similar goals, but how they deal with us is different.
Police officers are rougher – they think they have state power, and speak very harshly. But state security are often very polite, even humble.
When you talk about faith with state security, they often listen instead of arguing. At most, they might say, “Well, national policy is such-and-such.” They don’t treat what you are saying as an offense. But when police officers come, they are very forceful. They basically don’t talk to you at all. Often state security is directing things behind the scenes, but the local police stations carry out the operations.
“A Loneliness of the Soul”
CP: Were you abused in detention?
Lu Rongyu: When we went into the detention center, we were treated as “key focus” cases. Because of that, they were fairly polite. Later on, it ended up that my cell had several gang bosses, and they were able to get meat and alcohol sent in. Because I ended up eating and drinking with those bosses, my day-to-day conditions were actually quite good.
CP: Did your family ever get to see you during the two years you were detained? Were lawyer visits and communication smooth?
Lu Rongyu: Under normal rules, you can apply for and receive family visits, but with cases like ours, we were not able to. For more than two years, we couldn’t see our family. Every time my wife tried to visit, they wouldn’t allow it. The only way we could find out what was really happening at home was through lawyer visits.
There was another Christian in jail at the same time as me, and he was abused. His situation was worse than mine.
CP: Why?
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Lu Rongyu: It might just be that the officers who dealt with us had different personalities. The officer in my cell was easier to communicate with.
For more than two years, we couldn’t see our family. Every time my wife tried to visit, they wouldn’t allow it.
CP: As we pray for pastors and believers who are in prison or detention right now, what should we pray for the most? Food? Timely medical care? Their relationship with the Lord?
Lu Rongyu: Inside, the biggest worry is not daily life or even sickness. Detention center staff tend to take special care of people who have medical problems. I’ve heard that detention centers have an annual “death quota,” and that exceeding that quota could affect their staff benefits. Now detention centers also have continuous video recording. If officials in Beijing want to see what is happening in a specific place, it’s just a matter of pressing a button. So, unless higher authorities have given special instructions, personal safety is relatively secure.
I think the thing that needs the most prayer is the pastor’s sense of loneliness inside jail. On the one hand, he misses home. On the other hand, there is a kind of loneliness of the soul. Even if he has a Bible, many times he will still feel, “God, why are you so far from me?” That’s how it was for me at first. Later I read letters written by [another imprisoned pastor], and it was the same for him.
Memorizing Scripture in Jail
CP: You didn’t have a Bible inside. How did you get through those two-plus years?
Lu Rongyu: I memorized Scripture. The Bible couldn’t get in, but when family wrote letters, they could copy a sentence – just one or two, not much more. I also memorized other books. I slowly read Bonhoeffer and The Chronicles of Narnia. I would pull lines from these books to meditate on. I copied things down, and used them for devotion.
The thing that needs the most prayer is the pastor’s sense of loneliness inside jail. On the one hand, he misses home. On the other hand, there is a kind of loneliness of the soul.
People in prison have to work, but I was in the detention center, and there’s no work at all. Before going in, we assumed it would be very harsh. But we found that, apart from not being able to see family and the food being pretty bland, there wasn’t much imposed suffering. Inside, it was basically like a monastery.
In our case, the police threatened church members during the investigation, but there was no physical violence, and no torture to extract confessions. But these things happen in other places.
Encouraging the Persecuted Church
CP: What kinds of resources or support does your church have?
Lu Rongyu: We have talked about trying to form a fellowship to connect churches and support joint activities among different churches. Right now, our city has a pastors’ fellowship, but there are not very many chances for ordinary believers to have contact with other Christians. Their circles are quite narrow, and they don’t get to see many other examples or testimonies. This is something our church lacks, so we are thinking about how to connect our church members with believers from other churches.
I memorized Scripture. The Bible couldn’t get in, but when family wrote letters, they could copy a sentence – just one or two, not much more.
We don’t want to focus on just one area, but to enable believers to see more brothers and sisters. We want ordinary Christians to see how other believers live in their environment and hold fast to their faith. I think that would be a big encouragement.
CP: We’ll pray for believers in your church to have more opportunities for mutual exchange and encouragement.
Lu Rongyu is a pseodonym for a Chinese Christian who recently spent several years in jail due to his faith.
Pray for the persecuted church in China to love their oppressors, draw near to Jesus even in difficulty, and to remain steadfast.
