Li Niu Shujun, the wife of the late influential house church pastor Li Tianen, passed away this Monday, aged 92.
"Our dear mother rested in the Lord’s arms on June 7. Following Jesus Christ throughout her life, she served the people of her generation together with our father Li Tian'en. Despite the hardships, she never gave up, leaving a wonderful example for us," an obituary read.
The obituary was issued by her family, including her children Li Xinci, Li Xinle, and Li Xinming.
Called by the Lord while still in college, Li Tianen quit his studies and turned to a seminary in Kaifeng, Henan. He later continued theological education in Nanjing and Hangzhou. He served the local churches in Nanjing, Hangzhou, Shangzhou, and the northeastern area of China after graduating from Hangzhou Theological Seminary in July 1950.
Having been imprisoned four times for the gospel during his lifetime, he spent more than a decade in Chinese prisons. He was arrested the second time in 1973 and sentenced to death due to his evangelism during the Cultural Revolution. Moreover, he faced execution by shooting squad on three occasions; however, the Almighty God amazingly saved him from "the lion's mouth". After the end of the Cultural Revolution, he resumed his preaching and service in churches across the country until his death.
As one of those who witnessed the history of Chinese churches, he served people of that era with Wang Mingdao, Ni Tuosheng (Watchman Nee), Yuan Xiangchen, Samuel Lamb, Xie Moshan, and Yang Xinfei.
Recalling his service, a pastor of a Chinese house church comments on him as "the root of the church in Henan and the light of the church in Shanghai."
Having served the church for more than half a century, Li died in Shanghai on May 3, 2016.
- Translated by Abigail Wu