BIOGRAPHY OF WATCHMAN NEE PART 3(PERSECUTION AND DEATH)
After the rise of the Chinese communist party in 1949, Christians
came under great persecution. False charges and arrests were also brought
against many foreign missionaries. Through intensive propaganda campaigns and
threats if imprisonment, believers were influenced to accuse one another.
Watchman Nee suffered greatly for the sake of the ministry. He
suffered poverty, gravely ill-health, and intense opposition from Christians,
and two decades of harsh imprisonment. His depth of revelation combined with
his selfless suffering issued in a rich ministry of life according to the Lord’s
commission to him: the unique New Testament ministry of Christ and of the
church.
On April 10, 1952, Watchman Nee was arrested by the
department of public security in Manchuria and charged with bribery, theft of
the state property, tax evasion, cheating on government contracts, and stealing
of government economic information. Nee was also “re-educated”. On January 11,
1956, there was a nationwide sweep targeting the co-workers and elders in the
local churches. Some died in labor camps, while others faced long prison
sentence. On January 18, 1956, the Religious Affairs Bureau began twelve days
of accusation meetings at the church assembly hall on Nanyang Road in Shanghai,
in which much accusation was brought against Nee in large accusation meetings. On
June 21, 1956, Nee appeared before the high court in Shanghai, where it was announce
that he has been excommunicated by the elders in the church in Shanghai and
found him guilty on all charges. He was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment
with reform by labor. Initially, he was detained at Tilanqiao prison in shanghai
but was later moved to other locations. Only his wife, Charity was allowed to
visit him.
On January 29, 1956, Public Security took over the Nanyang
Road building, and many of Nee co-workers were arrested, put in isolation, and
forced to repudiate Watchman Nee. Some co-workers joined in the accusation of Watchman
Nee while others such as Peace Wang, Ruth Lee, and Yu Chenghua remained silent
and were punished with life imprisonment. Following this, mass accusation
meetings were held across the country to condemn the “anti-revolutionary sect
of Watchman Nee.”
One year before Nee’s death in 1972, his wife, charity, died
due to an accident and high blood pressure; Nee was not allowed to attend her
funeral. Charity’s eldest sister then took the responsibility to take care of
Nee in prison. Nee was schedule for release in 1967 but was detained in prison
until his death. On May 30, 1972, after twenty years of imprisonment for his
belief in Christ and his participation in local churches, Watchman Nee rested with Christ, whom he loved and served at the cost
of his life. There was no announcement of his death or any funeral. His remains
were cremated on June 1, 1972 before his family arrived at the prison. Before his
departure , he left a note a note under his pillow to testify of the truth:
“CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD WHO DIED
FOR THE REDEMPTION OF SINNERS AND RESURRECTED AFTER THREE DAYS. THIS IS THE
GREATEST TRUTH IN THE UNIVERSE. I DIE BECAUSE OF MY BELIEF IN CHRIST.”
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