Brother Yun

Brother Yun a.k.a. Liu Zhenying (born 1958) is an exiled Chinese Christian house church leader, evangelist, and proponent of the Back To Jerusalem movement.

Since his ministry in China was with the underground house churches of the Born Again 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 Biblical narrative. 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 provincesFact|date=February 2008. He was finally arrested and sentenced to many years in prison. However, Yun continued his ministry while in prison, with more claims of miraculous results. As a result, many prisoners and even some prison officials reportedly became born-again ChristiansFact|date=February 2008. Apparently, 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. It is claimed that while in prison, Yun undertook a total fast without food or water for 74 daysFact|date=February 2008.

After many years in prison, he escaped from Zhengzhou Maximum Security prison from which it is reported that nobody had previously escapedFact|date=February 2008. 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 apparently 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." It is claimed that these reports have been also confirmed by numerous prisoners who occupied the same prison cell as Yun. Apparently, he remains the only person to have escaped from this notorious maximum security prisonFact|date=February 2008.

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 Germany 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.

"The Heavenly Man"

The book "The Heavenly Man" was awarded the Christian Book of the Year in 2003 [cite web |url=http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?ISB=9781854245977 |title=Foyles: The Heavenly Man |accessdate=2008-04-03] . 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 Lamb (Lin Xiangao), a highly respected evangelical of long standing has written strongly against Yun in a pamphlet issued in August 2004 [cite web |url= http://www.e-n.org.uk/p-2938-China-leaders-distance-themselves-from-the-heavenly-man'.htm |title=China: leaders distance themselves from 'the heavenly man' |accessdate=2008-04-03] . He states that Yun falsely claimed to have fasted without food and water for nearly twice as long as Jesus, and also of being a ‘con-man’ in 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.

Yun comes from the so-called ‘Born Again’ movement which is widely regarded by many house-church leaders in China as extreme, if not a heretical departure from Christian orthodoxy.

Two prominent house-church leaders in Beijing, Moses Xie and Allen Yuan, have also come out strongly against Yun and Peter Xu. Allen Yuan, who is himself from a Pentecostal background, has said that they are ‘black sheep disturbing the church’. Moses Xie has written an articleFact|date=February 2008 in which he describes how the ‘Born Again‘ evangelists split existing churches with their extreme teaching.

In early April 2004 the key leaders of the large rural Sinim Fellowship house-churches met in Shanghai and all denounced Brother Yun and Peter Xu whom they regard as heterodoxFact|date=February 2008.

Defence

This controversy has not been without defence. Paul Hattaway, the co-author of the book has published an open response (http://www.asiaharvest.org/pages/news050705OpenLetterBrotherYun.html) 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. [cite web |url= http://www.asiaharvest.org/pages/news050705OpenLetterBrotherYun.html |title=China: Authors Defend 'the heavenly man' |accessdate=2008-10-01]

ee also

*Religion in China
*Christianity in China
*Protestantism in China
*Persecution of Christians

External links

* [http://www.charismamag.com/display.php?id=14885 Charisma Magazine] Cover Story April 2007 (Brother Yun no longer lives in China, but he continues to face opposition)
* [http://www.allreaders.com/Topics/Info_23610.asp AllReaders.com] - review and literary breakdown
* [http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm/articles/12326.htm John Mark Ministries]
* [http://cbn.org/CBNNews/News/040610b.asp CBN.com] interviews Brother Yun
* [http://www.e-n.org.uk/2004-07/2585-China-and-Back-to-Jerusalem-vision.htm Evangelicals Now] printed a translation of an interview with Brother Yun and his colleague Peter Xu
* [http://www.asiaharvest.org/pages/news050705OpenLetterBrotherYun.html An Open Letter Regarding 'The Heavenly Man' by Paul Hattaway]
* [http://www.alexanderseibel.de/rezension_der_himmelsbuerger.htm] Alexander Seibel website gives an German overview of the claims of the 'Heavenly Man'.

Notes