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Church Life Continues in Vietnam in Spite of Arrests

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam — Leaders of the Vietnam Mennonite Church met for prayer and spiritual renewal on July 12 and 13, one month after the arrest of the church's vice president and general secretary, Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang. Another arrest occurred just two weeks before the meeting.

On June 30, Ms. Le Thi Hong Lien, one of the church's deaconesses, a children's Bible teacher, social worker, and trainer of Saigon Christian scouts, was also arrested.

Quang was arrested by the security police in the city's District 2 on June 8 for "inciting others to oppose persons carrying out official duties." The police immediately launched a campaign in the community and among evangelical Christians to discredit Quang. National television and many newspapers carried these stories.

The Mennonite church, along with other Christian leaders, rejects the allegations as attempts to divert attention from the government's main concern: Quang's systematic reporting of police harassment against religious groups.

On March 2, four of Quang's associates were arrested and beaten when they tried to report threats of secret police to local authorities. Quang and the four evangelists are being held at undisclosed locations. Family members have not been permitted to visit them.

Ms. Lien was also beaten during the March 2 incident. Later that day police came to her home, threatened her father, and said she would be beaten again if she came out on the street. After being gone from home for a few weeks, she was arrested when she returned.

The two-day conference focused on Psalm 77, a lament to God. Two leaders from other house churches gave spiritual teaching. Duong Thanh Lam, pastoral head of the Assemblies of God, taught from the Acts 6 account of Stephen's arrest. Pastor Hoang Van Phung of the Church of God International taught from the story of Ahab and Jezebel seizing Naboth's vineyard (I Kings 21).

The 80 representatives from five districts at the meeting also chose interim leaders to serve until Pastor Quang's release.

The conference chose Pastor Quang's wife, Mrs. Le Thi Phu Dung, to serve as acting vice-president of Vietnam Mennonite Church. Pastor Truong Tri Hien, who had served as assistant to Quang, was named acting general secretary.

The conference called for the quick release of Pastor Quang and the other five being held, the return of confiscated church property and the end of police harassment.

On July 20, Mennonite World Conference officials met for a second time with officials of the Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations and other International Organizations, Geneva, to discuss the arrest and detainment of church leaders and the harassment of the Vietnam Mennonite Church.

MWC has also distributed an appeal by Mennonite Church Canada on behalf of the Mennonite Church of Vietnam to the global Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches. MWC has received responses and prayer pledges from places as distant as Nepal, France and Zambia.

— Vietnamese Ministries