The Bible Conference in the Cold

THE CALL: 2025-2026    |    4 MINUTE READ
TONY LEE, WGM MISSIONARY and REV. EMILY HINES, STORYTELLING PARTNER

Due to the sensitive area this global worker is serving in, we are using the pseudonym of Tony Lee in order to protect his identity.

As a missionary in East Asia for over 40 years, Tony Lee saw God move in and empower believers over and over again, especially in the midst of incredible suffering and hardship. These believers have a hunger for God and a fervent desire to gather together for biblical training and worship, even though it is illegal and dangerous to do so. Because of the illegality of being a Christian outside of the government controlled institutional church, of possessing a non-government-approved Bible or related materials, and of gathering together outside of the state-approved venues, often Christians would need to gather creatively: in secret or remote areas, traveling at night or under false pretenses, or enduring severely less-than-ideal situations once everyone was gathered together.

The following story gives an insider’s view of some of these challenges faced by our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ so that you might more specifically steward your prayers for them. May God strengthen the persecuted church.

Sister M. is eager to attend the biblical training conference at a rural property, remotely located in the province far from the immediate dangers of the city and officials of the government. She has traveled by train, then bus, and then walked to finally arrive after nightfall, a tiring journey of almost 20 hours.

Even though it is a cold and windy winter night, with a fresh dusting of snow on the ground, Sister M. pauses at the property’s courtyard gate. The sight of the walled farmhouse bolsters Sister M. with a wave of relief. The seclusion of the farmhouse itself brings a sense of freedom she cannot experience in her densely populated city, where neighbors are both her greatest mission and her greatest security threat. Here, she can sing without fear of being heard by ears who would rather report her than join her worship of the one true God.

Sister M. makes her way up the brick path and gently knocks the code on the heavy door. Quietly, the brothers on night watch open the door and usher her into the darkened entryway, then gently gesture toward the door leading to the living room, where the women attending the conference are already sleeping. Sister M. nods in gratitude and quietly enters the makeshift bedroom.

This room, which also doubles as the main training room during the day for 50–60 people, still holds the chill of the wintry weather, since there is no heat source inside. The cardboard-covered dirt floor is already mostly claimed by many sleeping women, but Sister M. finds an empty spot and squeezes in. To fight the cold, she wears her coat to sleep on the cold, hard floor, with her single little handbag doubling as a lumpy pillow and a thin blanket to attempt to keep warm.

As night begins to break into morning and weak winter light etches through the small windows, Sister M. and the women in the room begin to stir. They arise and gather their bedding to meet for the early morning prayer meeting, which lasts for nearly two hours.

Sister M. and the others freshen up before breakfast. There are no indoor facilities or running water, so the outdoor latrine and cold drawn water in a pitcher and basin provide for hygiene needs.

Back inside, a simple breakfast brings everyone together again for joyful fellowship before the training session begins. Sister M. has been a believer and a leader in her church for a while, and she is spiritually hungry to learn more. This training is a crucial component of her continued growth as a Christian, providing her with more tools, resources, and biblical knowledge to continue her ministry in her community. Her spiritual fervor is fueled by the encouragement of so many others with her, as they collectively seem unbothered by the rather uncomfortable circumstances of these days of learning and worshipping in this cold room. Sister M. leans in to take notes and listen intently to each lesson and sermon, with a refreshed and joyful heart to hear from the Holy Spirit and from her brothers and sisters sharing from the Scriptures.

Even with the challenges and risks involved—the grueling journey, the harsh meeting conditions, and the never-not-present security threat—Sister M. is resolved with intense passion to worship Jesus and to be equipped for kingdom work. God is faithful!

While Sister M.’s specific story is hypothetical, the details of her experience are the everyday reality for many believers in the persecuted church. Their experiences—of hardship, of harsh conditions, of long travel, of security threats, of meeting in secret—might be quite different from our experiences of going to church and worshipping Jesus readily, in the open without fear, and in mostly comfortable conditions.

What do we do with this dissonance? How do we reconcile our freedom to worship with their challenges? How can we pray for our sisters and brothers in Christ when we have only second-hand knowledge of the realities of the daily lives of the persecuted church?

Here are a few prompts:

• Put yourself in our brothers’ and sisters’ shoes. Imagine what church and life might be like if you faced similar threats against your religious freedom and safety. What would you be wanting the global church to pray on your behalf?
• Ask yourself, “What is most crucial and important to me about my church and worship experience?” Safety? Comfort? Convenience? Personal preference for methods, songs, and modes of operation? An opposite question to shed more light on this topic would be, “What makes you most upset about your church and worship experience?” Is your answer mission-critical or a personal preference?
• What do you find most inspiring about Sister M.’s story? In what ways does her experience align with or challenge your own experiences of life? How does her story encourage you in your faith and in your prayers for the persecuted church?

Author Bios:

Tony Lee has been a global worker in East Asia for four decades. He and his wife have three grown children. Tony is a father figure to countless believers in East Asia and represents the image of a loving and caring God to His people.

Rev. Emily Hines is an adjunct professor of Bible and Theology with Indiana Wesleyan University and Wesley Seminary and staff writer for Resonant Services, with over a decade of local church ministry experience. Outside of writing and ministry, Emily enjoys baking, crafting, raising houseplants, and perennial gardening. Emily and her husband Dave have two clever, kind, and curious kids: Petra and Simon.