Persecution in Vietnam

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Holy Spirit outpouring – persistent persecution – northern Vietnam

Since 1989 Vietnam, a nation of 82 million, has been experiencing a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Today there are tens of thousands of believers spread throughout the country. The Communist regime still tries to stop the Church of God from growing, through intimidation and persecution, but is unsuccessful. Today there are over 30 different House Church Movements. Approximately 26 of these belong to a coalition of House Church Movements called the Vietnamese Evangelical Fellowship (VEF). This coalition is lead by an executive of faith-filled godly men, whom the writer has had the privilege of being friends with over many years.

Though it may seem in the major cities the persecution has eased, authorities are still applying pressure trying to stop and destroy the Church. Imprisonment and physical attacks have ceased at this time, but a new approach is being tried. Authorities are spreading false rumours about various men and are trying to bring division among church leaders while intimidating those who attend house churches.

However, throughout regional and remote areas, among the tribal people groups the physical attacks and persecution of the Church continues. Nevertheless the Church grows stronger and stronger and lives in victory.

Late 2005 this writer spent three days in Hanoi, and met with church leaders. The spokesman was a senior leader, the supervisor of over 70 churches in four regions, with 100 pastors/workers and 100 part time workers.

Sharing with the aid of an interpreter he reported the following (Names and exact locations have been with held for security reasons).

Please note: The term “worker” used throughout this report can refer to an evangelist, a pastor of a house church or several house churches. It is not a lesser term, does not refer to a junior position, but a title the Vietnamese prefer to use. I have intentionally kept the report as close to what was spoken as possible. The only additions are the structures to make this report readable.

In the Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam, there is a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit taking place. Many are coming to Christ and the church is rapidly growing. In 1999 there were only about 10 people in a small meeting. The senior pastor of a House Church Movement visited and ministered in the area and today the work has grown to over 8,000 believers in this region.

The church started cell groups, which met secretly, and these quickly grew. The police tried spying on the gatherings and even though meeting in small groups it was still very difficult. Over time the church has grown stronger and now openly worships the Lord being willing to face the persecution.

In far away places new churches are being planted, but the police come and persecute the believers and try to stop the church from meeting. The believers stand strong and refuse to give in.

In October, three churches in Hai Phong City were visited by the police who asked them to stop meeting. The police beat the lady pastor. Held her by the neck and put her on the floor, slapped her and continued beating her and took her to the police station, 29 Sept – 3 October. Bibles and hymn books were taken away by the police, but the church continues; they keep fellowshipping and encouraging one another.

In Quang Ninh Province there are new churches despite the arrests, beatings and persecution by the police.

In the north east, among the tribal Humong people, believers have been facing strong persecution. The police came and asked them to deny God and tried to force them to worship demons. Many threats were made, believers were beaten, forced to pay money while pigs and chickens were taken from them and the houses of Christians were burnt. In January 2005 a number of people were taken unconscious to hospital after a chemical (thought to be tear gas) was thrown into a gathering of believers. The believers are standing strong and not giving into the persecution.

My source said, “All pastors/workers experience persecution, but we overcome and have the victory of our God.”

It was reported that the people know a personal salvation in Christ and this is evidenced by their changed lives. Hundreds and hundreds of people have given up drugs, alcohol, smoking and fighting. If you compare villages, those that come to Christ the contrast is easily seen. In the Christian villages there is life, love, happiness and Christian women are dressing differently now.

I asked about miracles and the quick reply was, “So many miracles. The greatest miracles are the transformed lives of the Humong people; set free from their drug addiction and alcohol.”

Many healings are immediate. Other times when hands are laid on people for prayer there is great heat experienced, so hot it is very noticeable. People return the next day to testify of their healing. People possessed by demons are also being set free by Jesus.

It was reported that many people after conversion had to leave their homes to escape from the police and move deeper into the jungle to live, yet they continue to worship the Lord.

“God is opening the door to the north and the Vietnamese are also receiving Christ.”

The Holy Spirit is visiting the north, especially among the students and many are accepting the Lord and also dedicating their lives to serve Jesus. Sitting and talking with four of these young men and women who are preparing, as soon as they graduate, to offer their lives to serve the Lord was a great honour.

Evangelism in the northeast among the Humong people is very difficult due to the remote, rugged and mountainous terrain. Workers can travel a day by train, one day by bus and then walk seven hours to reach a village. These areas are 2000 – 3000 metres above sea level. It is very dangerous in the high mountain passes where if one fell off the narrow path they would die. Sometimes workers have to walk up river beds and streams for many hours carrying their luggage on their heads. “We pray and worship together on the way and we feel the strength of the Lord.” was their testimony.

Travelling in threes they talk to each other, encouraging one another along the way. At times they become so tired that they can’t even speak and with ringing in their ears because of the high altitude they must stop and rest.

Sometimes they walk such long distances they run out of food and water and even become lost in the jungle and all this in extreme weather conditions. With no water left they are forced to drink from streams and God protects them from disease. When there is no water to be found God sends rain. I watched them, sitting in my hotel room, demonstrate to me how they caught the rain by holding out the back of each others shirt and then lap it up.

After the heavy rain the path becomes muddy and very slippery and on the steep parts of the track they have to sit down and slide down the hillside.

The ministry trips can last one to three weeks. I was told, “During these trips we comprehend the creation of our God as we see the beauty all around.”

When government forces come to the village believers often have to leave and find somewhere else to live. They look for somewhere new where there is a supply of water and they settle there.

The spokesman said, “The Holy Spirit is touching the people and we are experiencing true worship.”

The police are also on the lookout for evangelists/workers travelling through the area and try to stop them. The police treat drug addicts/dealers and Christian workers the same.

Sometimes the police arrive ahead of the workers and they have to leave for another place travelling over night and day. “When we meet each other we pray and God fills us with joy. We dance and worship the Lord. Our tiredness goes away.”

At times the police have already been to a village where meetings are arranged, so they move deeper into the jungle, sometimes three hours away. There they chop down trees to clear a space to make a meeting area. Believers travel into the area to meet and study the Bible together. There is a terrific hunger for God and His Word and they are being touched by God. After three days they leave and return to their villages.

New believers bring the tools, which are designed for collecting their drug, and ask the leaders to pray for them and help destroy the tools. This particular drug (name unknown) is collected from the sap of a tree, put into a dish and sucked up through a straw. (As in all our communities, drugs are a major problem, but these people are learning what it means to be set free by Jesus Christ – Writer’s note.)

The work of grace is evident in believer’s lives. When they sin against God they cry together seeking forgiveness. When they sin against one another, they forgive each other and cry out to God together and God blesses them and pours out His Spirit on them.

Sanitation is being improved in these villages. Toilets are being built, cleaning up the village, roads are made and their houses cleaned. God is leading them to change their lives, attend church and dress nicely.

Before accepting the Lord these people lived untidy, dirty lives. Through the teaching of Kingdom principles, from Christian leaders coming into the area they are learning to take better care of themselves through personal cleanliness and how to feed their babies properly.

Believers now experience worship in the Holy Spirit and feel the joy of the Lord when worshipping. All come to worship because the whole village has become Christian. When others receive the Lord the believers help them and take them to worship the Lord.

These villagers now live in love and unity. When the authorities come they beat them, take away their pigs, chickens, rice and food but they stick together and continue to believe and the police cannot stop them.

Reports of healings are numerous. Blind children, weak and sick people healed. When I asked about the healings, I was told, “God healed the sick there are so any cases.”

A young girl had a “house bug” crawl into her ear. She was distressed and crying so her father and mother prayed for her and the bug came out.

A small boy swallowed a key and for five hours they prayed for him and the key passed out without any damage.

On previous visits I have sat with tribal pastors and recorded their own, first hand experiences, of raising the dead. Truly inspiring!

Persecution in the cities has eased, but in the villages believers face intimidation and physical attack. Police arrange for local criminals to disturb church meetings and to beat up pastors and leaders to try and stop the church. Woman and children were beaten especially in the Cam Pha District of the Quang Ninh Province. A woman pastor was arrested, put into prison and the police asked a criminal to go in and beat her up. In Hai Phong City a number of women were imprisoned by the police in a hot room. Many became unconscious. They were held there and threatened, to try and stop them from going to church.

The Church in Vietnam needs our love, support and prayer.

For over a decade I have had the privilege of regularly visiting Vietnam and the honour of ministering to leaders from throughout the nation. For me it has been a life changing experience to work alongside such faithful, wonderful men and women, modern heroes of faith.

We are so far away and our circumstances are so different that we find it hard to relate to such reports. Many of us have no idea what enormous cost these people pay just to attend church let alone serve Christ fulltime. All that these people want to do is live a life that glorifies their God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

There is a human face to all this and human suffering.

I haven’t mentioned… – The pastor’s children refused attendance at the local school because the church meets in their home. – The pastor’s wife who was demoted (and wages cut), from being the Personal Assistant of a prominent doctor, to a hospital cleaner, because the church meets in her home. – The pastor who cried in my arms because his marriage was falling apart, his wife no longer able to cope with the persecution, because the church meets in their home. – The young man after becoming a Christian was severely persecuted. The local authorities forced him to offer animals to spirits. But this new believer did not want to do that; therefore they brought all kinds of animals to his house and asked him to offer these animal as a sacrifice to the spirit. This new believer could not stand the oppression/persecution and after that he committed suicide. – There were two young girls who became Christians but the local authority forced them to denounce their faith, but they did not. Realizing that the authority was going to harm them for their faith, the two girls fled from their family and work. They are now living and working in the city. They dare not go back to their hometown because they are afraid of the persecution from the local authority. – The many other heart rendering stories of men and women who have lost everything to follow Christ.

Let me conclude by saying. Though the sadness of these stories touches our hearts, we must not get the idea that the Church in Vietnam is defeated. In fact it is living victorious in Christ. The life and blessing of God is evident in the church and in the lives of believers. The church is increasing daily and is growing from strength to strength. The Vietnamese church is a missionary church reaching out beyond their restricted borders. There is much for us to learn from these mighty men and women of God. Lessons of love, courage, strength, faith, hope, zeal and endurance.

Please pray for the Vietnamese Church. Please partner with us as I believe the next decade is going to be an amazing time of growth and victory way beyond our hopes and dreams.

JJ – servant & messenger of Jesus Christ.