Brother Yun
Encyclopedia
Brother Yun a.k.a. Liu Zhenying (刘振营), in his book named "Tianshang ren" (天上人), (born 1958) is an exiled Chinese Christian house church
leader, evangelist
, and proponent of the Back To Jerusalem movement. Accounts about his life and ministry are to be found in his autobiography, The Heavenly Man.
. Despite a life of poverty in China, he since has spoken to thousands internationally, possibly millions, with the gospel
message. Seen as a rebel among some Chinese for not joining the 'official' government-controlled Christian organization (see: Three-Self Patriotic Movement
), he was imprisoned and tortured by the government authorities. His book claims that he became a highly wanted man across several provinces. He was finally arrested and sentenced to many years in prison. However, Yun continued his ministry while in prison, with more miraculous results. As a result, many prisoners and even some prison officials became born-again Christians. While he gained increasing favor from some officials, he also became a target of increased persecutions by others. He was repeatedly beaten and became severely malnourished. While in prison, Yun writes about undertaking a total fast
without food or water for 74 days.
After many years in prison, he escaped from Zhengzhou
Maximum Security prison from which it is reported that nobody had previously escaped. He described how he heard the voice of the Holy Spirit
, telling him to simply walk out the heavily guarded prison gate. Risking being shot to death on the spot, he wrote later that he obeyed the voice, and walked straight through several prison doors that were somehow left open in front of many prison guards, across the prison yard and finally out of the main gate. Yun stated that it was as if he had become invisible to the guards who stared straight through him. Although many expressed doubts that such a thing could happen, some prison guards had lost their jobs for this 'embarrassing mishap.' It is reported that the official investigation by the Chinese Government
concluded that "Yun received no human help in his escape." These reports have been also confirmed by numerous prisoners who occupied the same prison cell as Yun. He remains the only person to have escaped from this notorious maximum security prison.
in 2001 and has since been continuing his ministry from there. His ministry since has expanded around the globe. As a leader of the "Back to Jerusalem
Movement", Yun seeks to send thousands of missionaries out from China into the least-gospel-reached countries of the world, most existing between China and Israel
.
He is married to Deling with whom he has two children.
Released in February 2003, the book is co-written and translated by Paul Hattaway and published by Monarch Publications.
(Lin Xiangao) has stated that Yun falsely claimed to have fasted without food and water for nearly twice as long as Jesus, and falsely claiming to represent 58 million house-church Christians, and raising large sums of money in many countries. He also insists that Yun in no way represents the house-churches in China, although Lamb admits he has never met Yun nor read Yun's autobiography
Yun comes from the Born Again Movement (BAM) of China which is widely regarded by many house-church leaders in China as extreme, if not a heretical
departure from Christian orthodoxy.
This controversy has not been without defence. Paul Hattaway, the co-author of the book has published an open response that claims the attacks on the credibility of Brother Yun are rumours originating with Titus Pan in Hamburg. Various Chinese House Church leaders have again expressed their love and respect for Brother Yun.
Chinese house church
Chinese house churches are a religious movement of unregistered assemblies of Christians in the People's Republic of China, which operate independently of the government-run Three-Self Patriotic Movement and China Christian Council for Protestant groups and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic...
leader, evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
, and proponent of the Back To Jerusalem movement. Accounts about his life and ministry are to be found in his autobiography, The Heavenly Man.
Life in China
Yun's book claims both extreme persecutions and miracles of deliverance similar to ones found in the BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. Despite a life of poverty in China, he since has spoken to thousands internationally, possibly millions, with the gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
message. Seen as a rebel among some Chinese for not joining the 'official' government-controlled Christian organization (see: Three-Self Patriotic Movement
Three-Self Patriotic Movement
The Three-Self Patriotic Movement or TSPM is a state-controlled Protestant church in the People's Republic of China...
), he was imprisoned and tortured by the government authorities. His book claims that he became a highly wanted man across several provinces. He was finally arrested and sentenced to many years in prison. However, Yun continued his ministry while in prison, with more miraculous results. As a result, many prisoners and even some prison officials became born-again Christians. While he gained increasing favor from some officials, he also became a target of increased persecutions by others. He was repeatedly beaten and became severely malnourished. While in prison, Yun writes about undertaking a total fast
Fasting
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...
without food or water for 74 days.
After many years in prison, he escaped from Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou , is the capital and largest city of Henan province in north-central China. A prefecture-level city, it also serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational centre of the province, as well as a major transportation hub for Central China...
Maximum Security prison from which it is reported that nobody had previously escaped. He described how he heard the voice of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
, telling him to simply walk out the heavily guarded prison gate. Risking being shot to death on the spot, he wrote later that he obeyed the voice, and walked straight through several prison doors that were somehow left open in front of many prison guards, across the prison yard and finally out of the main gate. Yun stated that it was as if he had become invisible to the guards who stared straight through him. Although many expressed doubts that such a thing could happen, some prison guards had lost their jobs for this 'embarrassing mishap.' It is reported that the official investigation by the Chinese Government
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
concluded that "Yun received no human help in his escape." These reports have been also confirmed by numerous prisoners who occupied the same prison cell as Yun. He remains the only person to have escaped from this notorious maximum security prison.
Life in exile
His ministry struggled briefly when Chinese Christians became increasingly fearful of housing him because of the potential repercussions from government authorities. After escaping from China, Yun took asylum in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 2001 and has since been continuing his ministry from there. His ministry since has expanded around the globe. As a leader of the "Back to Jerusalem
Back To Jerusalem
The Back To Jerusalem movement is a Christian evangelistic campaign begun in China by Chinese believers to send missionaries to all of the Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim peoples who live "between" China and Jerusalem...
Movement", Yun seeks to send thousands of missionaries out from China into the least-gospel-reached countries of the world, most existing between China and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
He is married to Deling with whom he has two children.
The Heavenly Man
The book The Heavenly Man was awarded the Christian Book of the Year in 2003. The title comes from the name by which Brother Yun was known amongst the house church networks. He gained that name from one night of interrogation when he would only answer "I am a heavenly man!", instead of revealing his true name, in order to protect other Christians from the police.Released in February 2003, the book is co-written and translated by Paul Hattaway and published by Monarch Publications.
Controversy
Samuel LambSamuel Lamb
Samuel Lamb or Lin Xiangao is a Christian pastor in Guangzhou, China. He is a leader in the Chinese house church movement, and known for his resistance against participation in the churches of the state-controlled "Three-Self Patriotic Movement"....
(Lin Xiangao) has stated that Yun falsely claimed to have fasted without food and water for nearly twice as long as Jesus, and falsely claiming to represent 58 million house-church Christians, and raising large sums of money in many countries. He also insists that Yun in no way represents the house-churches in China, although Lamb admits he has never met Yun nor read Yun's autobiography
Yun comes from the Born Again Movement (BAM) of China which is widely regarded by many house-church leaders in China as extreme, if not a heretical
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
departure from Christian orthodoxy.
This controversy has not been without defence. Paul Hattaway, the co-author of the book has published an open response that claims the attacks on the credibility of Brother Yun are rumours originating with Titus Pan in Hamburg. Various Chinese House Church leaders have again expressed their love and respect for Brother Yun.
See also
- Religion in ChinaReligion in ChinaReligion in China has been characterized by pluralism since the beginning of Chinese history. The Chinese religions are family-oriented and do not demand the exclusive adherence of members. Some scholars doubt the use of the term "religion" in reference to Buddhism and Taoism, and suggest "cultural...
- Christianity in ChinaChristianity in ChinaChristianity in China is a growing minority religion that comprises Protestants , Catholics , and a small number of Orthodox Christians. Although its lineage in China is not as ancient as the institutional religions of Taoism and Mahayana Buddhism, and the social system and ideology of...
- Protestantism in ChinaProtestantism in ChinaProtestant Christianity entered China in the early 19th century, taking root in a significant way during the Qing Dynasty. Some historians consider the Taiping Rebellion to have been influenced by Protestant Christian teachings. Since the mid-20th century, there has been an increase in the number...
- Persecution of ChristiansPersecution of ChristiansPersecution of Christians as a consequence of professing their faith can be traced both historically and in the current era. Early Christians were persecuted for their faith, at the hands of both Jews from whose religion Christianity arose, and the Roman Empire which controlled much of the land...
External links
- Charisma Magazine Cover Story April 2007 (Brother Yun no longer lives in China, but he continues to face opposition)
- AllReaders.com - review and literary breakdown
- John Mark Ministries
- Evangelicals Now printed a translation of an interview with Brother Yun and his colleague Peter Xu
- An Open Letter Regarding 'The Heavenly Man' by Paul Hattaway
- http://www.alexanderseibel.de/rezension_der_himmelsbuerger.htm Alexander Seibel website gives a German overview of the claims of the 'Heavenly Man'.
- "The Heavenly Man"(Simplified Chinese) Translated from English version "The Heavenly Man" by overseas Chinese believers. WARNING: The Untangle web safety software reports that "This web page was blocked because it may be designed to steal personal information." Google indicates that this site is located in China, which the author clearly loves but had to flee from.