The day after Chan’s announcement-January 6-dozens of pro-democracy activists, including Christians, were arrested in the latest police raid, most have since been released on bail.

The pastor smiled throughout the 30-minute update and praised God that even after the unexpected news around their visas, his whole family is “at perfect peace at a time when most people would be freaked out.” One of Chan’s daughters and sons-in-law have returned to Los Angeles, while the other went to Ireland. He said he and has family of 12-including his daughters, sons-in-law, and grandkids-had fun building a church family that spanned from “street kids” to “crazy rich Asians.” They had gathered three house churches of 15–20 people each. He’s a wise and seasoned leader, and a good listener.”Ĭhan described it as a stretching experience to rely on Scripture while teaching using his “horrible” Chinese.

Greenfield added, “I’m more than hopeful that Francis Chan will surround himself with folks that will challenge his role at the center of the gospel-sharing, church-planting story that he is telling. “That went way faster than we expected, but now I’m going, ‘Wow, Lord, I think if I’d stayed too long, that might have hurt the church,” he said.

“Hopefully we can get back in Hong Kong because, man, we want to be there,” he said in a January 5 video from San Francisco.īesides the pandemic hitting in 2020, last year brought further political unrest to Hong Kong, where protestors opposed the imposition of new national security law allowing mainline China to hold more authority over the area.Īs a result, some Americans, including journalists, have struggled to get visa extensions, and ministry leaders from overseas have grown more worried about oversight.Ĭhan described leaving the churches behind on a couple weeks’ notice and appointing young leaders to take their place, reminding them that the early church too relied on the Spirit when leaders like Paul had to move on. Less than a year after moving to Hong Kong, Francis Chan and his family have had their visas rejected and been forced to leave their fledgling house church ministry behind.Ĭhan, known as a spirited preacher and bestselling author of Crazy Love, told his ministry partners early in January that he was back in the US but applying to return to Hong Kong, where he and his sons-in-law were leading three house church gatherings.

Crazy love by francis chan