Fleeing Persecution in China: Christian Congregation Takes Refuge in Thailand, Hopes for Asylum in the US
Religion And Faith,Persecution,Christians,China
Three years ago, 62 members of the China's Shenzhen Reformed Holy Church, also known as the Mayflower Church, fled to South Korea to escape persecution from the Communist government. They requested political asylum in South Korea, but were denied.
The church is now in Thailand, where members hope to gain refugee status, and eventually resettle in the United States. Until then, they face many challenges, including possible arrest by Thailand immigration police and being sent back to China.
14-year-old Paul Pan is the son of Mayflower Church's leader, Pastor Yongguang Pan. He can still vividly remember how Chinese police barged into their house church and harassed his mother when he was only six.
"They took a lot of brothers – took them away. I remember my mom, three policemen caught her and try to throw her away. She try to stop them. They noticed she didn't want to move so they catch her feet and carry her away," Paul told CBN News.
Paul says he was not afraid then because he knew his parents would be released in a few hours. As he grew older, however, fear began to creep in.
