(Worthy News) - A pastor in Wuhan, China, where the coronavirus outbreak is at its worst, penned a letter on Jan. 23 addressed to Christians everywhere seeking to describe the trial believers in Wuhan are enduring.
The pastor, who remained anonymous, said "the safety of the congregation, a faithful witness, the possibility that members could contract the illness, have all become a great area of struggle," but an even greater opportunity to witness to the peace that is possible through Jesus in the face of death.
"The situation is so critical, yet (we are) trusting in the Lord's promises, that his thoughts toward us are of peace, and not evil (Jeremiah. 29:11), and that he allows for a time of testing, not to destroy us, but to establish us," the pastor wrote.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Monday called the coronavirus, which began in Wuhan and at 361 deaths nationwide in China has now surpassed the SARS outbreak of 2002 and 2003, "explosive" and "unprecedented" with potential to become a worldwide pandemic.
Underground churches in China have faced around 6,000 closures since the communist government decided to pass laws seeking to take total control over religion.