October 5, 2026
To all fellow members sharing in the redemptive grace of Christ within the Kingdom, and to friends from all walks of life who care about Pastor Wang Yi: We greet you in Christ!
Recently, information regarding the health status of Pastor Wang Yi has been circulating online, and like all of you, we are deeply concerned. In terms of faith, we trust in God’s sovereign providence over all things. In terms of human responsibility, given the prolonged lack of normal family visits and communications and their inability to obtain timely information regarding Pastor Wang Yi’s health, we cannot afford to take lightly any information concerning his physical health and safety.
In December 2019, Pastor Wang Yi was sentenced to nine years in prison by the Chengdu Intermediate People’s Court on charges of inciting subversion of state power and illegal business operations, and was subsequently transferred to Jintang Prison in Chengdu (成都金堂监狱) to serve his sentence. It has been nearly eight years since his arrest. Normal visits, correspondence, and phone calls between him and his wife, son, and parents have been restricted for a long time, making it difficult for his family to know his living conditions and health status in a timely and accurate manner. Over the nearly eight years of Pastor Wang Yi’s imprisonment, his basic rights to family visits and correspondence with his family have never been guaranteed in accordance with the law. During these eight years, his family has only been permitted to visit him fewer than five times, leaving his family and the outside world with very little knowledge of his current mental and physical health.
Because of this, we understand the appeals recently made by relevant media, brothers and sisters in Christ, and members of the public. We cannot ascertain the source of the information. For the time being, we do not know Pastor Wang Yi’s current health status, whether he has fallen ill.
However, in the past, there have been cases where prisoners of conscience suddenly fell gravely ill, whether due to human factors or natural causes, failed to receive adequate medical care, or even died mysteriously shortly before or after their release. Therefore, in the absence of transparent information, as the church pastored by Pastor Wang Yi, we neither treat the current information as established fact nor dismiss it as groundless rumor, thereby ignoring these reports and early warnings.
What we expect is that the prison administration lawfully guarantees Pastor Wang Yi’s right to receive family visits and exchange correspondence and phone calls with his family. The prison administration must provides the family with accurate health and medical information, ensure that Pastor Wang Yi receives timely and adequate medical care when needed, and keeps the family informed in an open and transparent manner.
In response to the above, we offer the following thoughts and appeals:
1. We pray that the Lord who created the heavens and the earth and governs all things will personally preserve His servant, Pastor Wang Yi. If he is indeed ill, we pray that the Lord will heal him and enable him to receive timely and thorough examination and treatment through proper medical channels. We also pray that the Lord will comfort his wife, son, and elderly parents, granting them peace, patience, and hope from God during their long wait.
2. We thank the brothers and sisters in Christ, media professionals, and friends from all walks of life who have long prayed for, advocated for, and spoken out on behalf of Pastor Wang Yi. In a situation where information has long been restricted, every expression of concern based on facts and every voice raised out of a clear conscience is precious to us.
The Lord Jesus said: “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” Also, “if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will not lose their reward.” (Matthew 10:40, 42) Therefore, everything you have done out of love will be remembered by the Lord.
3. We also pray that the Lord will comfort every brother and sister worried by the recent news. May the Lord keep us from ignoring the danger simply because we do not yet know the whole truth, and from falling into panic because we have yet to obtain all the information. For our hope rests in Christ, who has risen from the dead and now reigns as King.
“And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” (2 Corinthians 1:7). May what He has accomplished and will accomplish for us become our true anchor in the unknown and our genuine comfort in times of trouble.
4. We call upon the prison administration to lawfully guarantee the rights of Pastor Wang Yi and his family to normal visits, correspondence, and phone calls, and to cease using excuses such as “waiting for leadership approval” to deprive Pastor Wang Yi and his family of these basic rights for prolonged periods. We also call upon them to provide the family with truthful information regarding his health, physical examinations, and medical care, ensuring that he can promptly obtain necessary and thorough examinations and treatments when he falls ill. After all, keeping information about Pastor Wang Yi in the dark only increases suspicion, and openness and transparency are the most direct ways to address concerns.
5. We earnestly request all brothers and sisters to continue praying fervently for Pastor Wang Yi. There is now approximately one year and three months remaining until the completion of his sentence. We pray that the Lord will specially preserve His servant, strengthening his body, mind, and faith, thwarting all attacks and schemes of the evil one, and bringing him safely back to his family and the church according to His own will and timing.
6. We also earnestly request all Christians, media professionals, public figures, and public interest organizations concerned about Pastor Wang Yi to continue paying attention to his situation in whatever ways they can. We are particularly grateful to those who have long monitored the plight of prisoners of conscience and, despite restricted information, have done their utmost to gather news, issue warnings, and speak out publicly. Public attention and monitoring in themselves serve as protection for those who are isolated. May such attention compel the relevant authorities to treat Pastor Wang Yi lawfully and transparently, safeguarding his life, health, and basic rights until his safe return.
Finally, we once again thank all brothers and sisters and friends from all walks of life who care about Pastor Wang Yi and the Early Rain Covenant Church. May we pray in faith, be cautious in the face of facts, and fulfill our human responsibilities with all our hearts and strength.
May God bless you and protect your hearts and minds with His own peace.
Early Rain Covenant Church
October 3, 2026
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