I'll start with a report I reported myself. It will sound like a newspaper story. Forgive me, but that's the format I'm used to.
In October of last year, Pastor Wang Yi, who is the head of the Early Rain Covenant Church in southwestern China, asked his audience a question: Have we made a difference? If tomorrow morning the Early Rain Covenant Church suddenly disappeared from the city of Chengdu, if each of us vanished into the air, would the city be any different? Would anyone miss us?
As of December of last year, Pastor Wang and the other congregants of his church have had a chance to answer that question, because starting on December 9, police rounded up and arrested more than 100 church members including Wang and his wife, who was also a key leader in the church. The church was shuttered and many members went into hiding. About half of those arrested were released and more than 50 continue to be held.