A Tiananmen Square Christian

    Do you remember the pro-democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square? Someone 316NOW knows remembers it well.  He was there.

The protests
    They began in April 1989 and came to a dramatic and bloody end on June 3-4.  At first the student-led protests were tolerated by China’s central government.  But in the opening days of June troops with assault rifles and heavily armed tanks inflicted casualties on unarmed civilians who were trying to block the military's advance towards Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing.  The number of civilian deaths is estimated at between hundreds and thousands.
    Following the Tiananmen Square Massacre,  widespread arrests of protesters and their supporters resulted in prison terms for hundreds.  Other protests in China met with armed opposition.  Strict controls were enforced on the press and foreign journalists were expelled.  Pro-democracy officials in the government were removed.

A survivor and friend
    One of those Tiananmen Square protesters is now a leader in a Christian congregation 316NOW has served.  Following his prison term, he launched a career that has earned him significant income.  But his heart has been captured by Jesus.  In addition to serving as a key leader and supporter in his unregistered church, he is taking religious study courses so he can better serve God’s people.
    Not unlike the way the Holy Spirit allowed Paul to find Lydia, an influential business woman in Ephesus, the Spirit has introduced 316NOW to this Christian, 
•    a man who is committed to Jesus’ counter-cultural faith, 
•    a man who is committed to lead others to follow his counter-cultural Savior.

For more information on the Tiananmen Square massacre, click here. 
Note: Following a written description of the events in Tiananmen Square, this site provides a number of photos, one of which some might find disturbing.