'Mayflower Church' Refugees from China Find Safe Haven in US After 3-Year Ordeal
Most of the 63 members of a Chinese church fleeing persecution from the communist regime arrived at an airport in Texas on Friday night after finally being granted safe haven in the United States. One family from the group remained in Thailand because the mother is pregnant and they were unable to make the journey until she gives birth.
Dr. Bob Fu, founder, and president of China Aid, helped organize the campaign for freedom. He confirmed to CBN News that the refugees were heading to the Dallas-Forth Worth airport Friday night.
The Christians, members of the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, fled China three years ago, first to South Korea and then to Thailand as they sought asylum in the U.S.
CBN News visited the congregation in Bangkok last year to tell their story. The group is nicknamed "Mayflower Church" after the English ship that carried Pilgrims to North America in search of religious freedom.
In recent days, Thai police took the group into custody and reportedly planned to deport them because their visas had expired.
"Within the next week, they will definitely be deported. What we don't know is which country they will be deported to," a representative had said.
Thailand has in the past repatriated Chinese nationals wanted by China, including members of the Uyghur ethnic group, a mostly Turkic Muslim minority that has faced religious and racial persecution in the Xinjiang Province on China's northwestern frontier. Thai authorities had also previously deported Chinese dissidents who were recognized as refugees by the U.N. and were awaiting resettlement in Canada, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Religious freedom activists said the U.S. State Department played an important part in working with Thai officials to have the Christian refugees sent to the U.S. instead of China where they would face punishment for their faith.
Freedom Seekers International, a Texas group, that assists people seeking religious freedom, will help them resettle in the city of Tyler.
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"This is truly a GOOD FRIDAY toward this Resurrection Sunday blessing to persecuted faithful in China and around the world," Fu said in a statement to CBN News. "Barely a week ago, members of the Mayflower were still incarcerated in a jail facing imminent danger of CCP kidnapping threats. Now they are safe and free."
Fu thanked all of the government agencies, religious nonprofits, and other individuals who helped bring the group of Christians to the U.S.
"I'm so thankful to all parties including various U.S. government agencies, particularly the State Department's IRF Office led by Ambassador Rushad Hussain, USCIRF, a number of congressional offices especially Chairman Rep. Mike McCaul, Chairman Rep. Chris Smith, Rep Nathaniel Moran, Rep Pfluger, Sen, Ted Cruz, Sen. Marco Rubio, Rep/former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Frank Wolf, UNHCR, USCIRF Commissioners, International Religious Freedom Alliance led by UK MP Finoa Bruce, Lord David Alton from UK, IRFSUMMIT cochairs Amb Sam Brownback and Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, IRF Secretariat leaders, Family Research Council, Alliance Defense Freedom, 21st Wilberforce, Royal Thai government as well as a group of coalition partners especially Freedom Seekers International and numerous individuals around the globe," the founder and president of China Aid said.
"We are truly honored to be a part of this miracle. We will not rest until religious freedom is fully realized in China. God bless America and the persecuted Church," Fu concluded.
I am so proud to be an American. In US, we provide refuge to the persecuted. No country in human history has given refuge to so many persecuted people of faith.
— Rev. Johnnie Moore(@JohnnieM) April 7, 2023
Welcome to your new home, Mayflower family....just in time for Easter.
You're safe here.https://t.co/9UwzFj0rax
Christian Persecution in China
In its annual report last year, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom said the Chinese Communist Party requires religious groups to support its absolute rule and political objectives, including by altering their religious teachings to conform with the party's ideology and policy. "Both registered and unregistered religious groups and individuals who run afoul of the CCP face harassment, detention, arrest, imprisonment, and other abuses," the commission said.
"Our church would educate our children about our religious beliefs, and the police would come along and force them to enroll in school so they could be brainwashed," Mayflower's founding pastor Pan Yongguang said in August of 2022.
"They didn't want us to teach our children the Bible, and children are banned from attending church. This went against our faith and our consciences," he told the Union of Catholic Asian News at the time.
"All day, from morning to night, it's all Xi Jinping," a member of the church told the outlet. "More and more, it stands in opposition to faith."
After Pastor Pan Yongguang of the Mayflower Church released his statement of faith, the 60-member congregation released theirs in October of 2022.
