OPINION (Christian News Network) – A pastor in Hawaii recently shared a story about his visit to China, where he was taken aback by the authenticity and fervor of Christians in the nation, as compared to what he observes in the United States. Wayne Cordeiro, the pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Honolulu, Hawaii, outlined that he went to Hunan Province to train church leaders — 22 in all — many of whom rode by train 13 hours to get to the event, which was held secretly in a hotel room.
They all sat on a hardwood floor as he taught all day long, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In a video posted to social media, which has been viewed over 1 million times as of press time, Cordeiro recalled asking the Christians what might happen if they get caught. “Oh, you’ll get deported in 24 hours and we’ll go to prison for three years,” the people. The pastor then asked the leaders how many of those present have been in prison for their faith. 18 out of the 22 in attendance raised their hands. Cordeiro subsequently asked how many people the 22 church leaders oversee. READ MORE