Biography
Wang Yi was born in 1973 in Sichuan province in China. He grew up in the years after the Cultural Revolution, in a country trying to find its way. He was a gifted student and became a lawyer and a respected scholar. He also became a public voice, writing essays on law, politics and culture. He was known in Chengdu and across China for his sharp mind and his willingness to speak about the issues of his day. He was not a religious man in those years. Like many in his generation, he was searching for a meaning that the world did not supply.
In 2005 he came to faith in Christ. The change was real and it was costly. He left behind a secure position and a promising career, and he turned to serve the church. In 2008 he helped to found Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu. It began as a small gathering of believers and grew into a congregation of several hundred. It was not one of the officially registered churches that operate under state control. It was an independent church that held to the authority of Christ and the Scriptures and refused to place itself under the direction of the Communist Party.
Wang Yi became the pastor of that church. He preached the gospel and taught the Reformed faith. He wrote and published, spoke of the sovereignty of God and called the church to be faithful under pressure. He insisted that Christ alone is Lord of the church and that no earthly power may stand in that place. He was also clear that Christians should obey the law and respect those in authority, except where they are commanded to disobey God. He wanted a church that was peaceful and bold.
The government grew uneasy. Early Rain was raided, its members were harassed and pressured, and some lost their jobs and homes. The church was forced out of its meeting place repeatedly. Wang Yi and his wife Jiang Rong stood firm through it all. In 2018 the authorities escalated their pressure. On December 9, 2018, police came to the church and arrested Wang Yi, his wife and many members of the congregation. Most were released after a time. Wang Yi was kept in detention.
Before his arrest, he had prepared a statement to be released if he was taken. It was titled My Declaration of Faithful Disobedience. In it he explained why he would not stop preaching and why he would not bow to the demand that the church submit to state control. He wrote that he was not afraid of the cost and that he trusted God. He asked that no one hate those who persecuted him. He wrote with sorrow and with love, and he spoke of forgiveness. The words were read around the world.
In December 2019 a court in Chengdu sentenced him to nine years in prison on charges of inciting subversion of state power and illegal business operations. His family and church members were unable to attend the trial. His supporters called the charges false. He was moved to a prison, and for long stretches his family has been denied contact with him. His wife has faced pressure and constant watch, and the church continues to meet in smaller groups under strain.
He is a man who gave up comfort for the sake of Christ and who accepted prison as part of his calling. He is not a perfect man, and he has never claimed to be. He is a sinner who trusts in the mercy of God and who has shown what it means to keep faith when it costs everything. His story has stirred believers around the world to pray for the church in China.
Whatever becomes of him, his testimony stands. A lawyer who could have lived at ease chose to follow the Lord and was willing to lose his freedom. The church is reminded that the same Savior who sustained the apostles in prison walks with those who suffer for His name today.