Throughout the month of May, you will come face to face with the reality of persecution through the stories of seven courageous believers ICC helped rescue. They are not just distant headlines or statistics — they are real people, with real names, real suffering, and real faith. These are the “faces of the persecuted.”

05/19/2025 China (International Christian Concern) – The Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, often called the “Mayflower Church,” endured years of persecution and uncertainty before finally finding refuge in the United States.

In 2019, the 60-member congregation fled China due to increasing religious persecution. They sought asylum in South Korea, but after being denied refugee status, they turned to the United States as a last hope. During their two-year stay in Korea, Chinese authorities harassed their families back home, calling them traitors and threatening them with severe charges like “subversion of state power.”

With no safe options remaining, the church traveled to Thailand in August 2022 on 15-day tourist visas, seeking refugee status through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The church’s pastor, Pan Yongguang, emphasized the gravity of their plight. “This is dangerous, but it is an opportunity,” he said. “If we stayed in Jeju, we would have had no chance.”

However, their presence in Thailand drew the attention of Chinese operatives, who followed and filmed them, further intensifying their fears. Thai authorities detained them for several months due to visa violations, adding to their already dire situation. ICC staffers met with church members in Thailand and assisted with their asylum paperwork.

Despite the obstacles, the church remained steadfast in their faith. The church eventually departed for the United States after their UNHCR application was approved after nearly nine months of waiting. Freedom Seekers International, a nonprofit that helps people fleeing religious persecution, worked with them to resettle in a northeastern city in Texas.

Church members believed that the Lord would make a way throughout their journey, as He has been with them on this arduous journey.

The congregation is now settling into life in the United States and has plans to stay permanently, ending their three-year search for a new, free home. Please join ICC in praising the Lord that He has brought the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church into safety at last.

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