During a visit in February, I met with Sister Wang, a Christian woman, who shared the evangelistic story of her grandfather, Wang Jianxiao, a rural preacher in Northern China.
Wang Jianxiao, a rural preacher born in Qinyuan County, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province, in 1906, was a teacher in his youth. After hearing the gospel from a Norwegian missionary at the county seat, Wang decided to believe in the Lord and returned to his hometown carrying a Bible. In 1934, he answered the call to be a rural preacher, a role he faithfully served until his passing in 1990.
After 1938, as Japanese troops entered Shanxi, people fled into the mountains for protection, but Preacher Wang continued to preach the gospel as usual. He was often captured as a "spy" and detained in Japanese military camps. Despite multiple near-death experiences, he remained faithful to the Lord.
Japanese soldiers once imprisoned him on suspicion of being a "correspondent for the Eighth Route Army." Miraculously, the rope that held him in place fell loose as he prayed and praised the Lord's name aloud. Despite being tied again, the rope continued to loosen as Wang prayed and praised. Even when left hogtied, Preacher Wang persisted in praising and praying to the Lord, leading to the breaking of the ropes. Although he was not released immediately, the Japanese soldiers acknowledged his “strong moral conscience.”
Near his detention place, a widow with an only son often sent him food. Despite Preacher Wang's desire to share with her the "precious Jesus," who had miraculously untied his ropes, the widow only wished for the health of her son and herself. Wang knelt to pray for them as a result of her concern. Subsequently, the widow lived to be over 80, and her son established a family.
As he was safe from danger again, Preacher Wang continued his zealous evangelism across Shanxi, Hebei, Henan, Shaanxi, and other provinces, even throughout the Anti-Japanese War and the Civil War.
Once in a village, the wife of a wealthy family questioned the extent of God's power. The rich man’s wife shared about the continuous miscarriages and claimed that she would believe the God he followed if He could ensure her present pregnancy. The preacher then prayed for her and named the fetus "Enlai" (from the Lord's grace). Later, the infant was healthy and thrived. One day the rich man's wife persuaded her husband to sell all their property soon because the Bible mentioned "misery coming on to rich people." The couple sold all their property, though they later regretted not saving the proceeds for the church’s revival. Eventually, the husband also embraced the Lord, while the wife continued serving the church until her nineties.
During the "Cultural Revolution," while working in the mines, Wang gained renown for safely leading his team underground. Following this period, he organized a "thousand-person cave gathering" in his hometown, which generated great attention.
Wang knew well about the lives of farmers from his long-term experience preaching in rural areas. Skilled in employing common sayings and metaphors, he effectively shared the gospel with villagers. Moreover, he creatively mixed folk tunes into his praise compositions, teaching quite a few to sing.
- Translated by Poppy Chan
