After valiantly serving the impoverished rural communities of China, an American pastor has been diagnosed with fourth-stage cancer, and China will not release his passport so he can return home to his wife and children.
Humanitarian Service to Impoverished Communities
- Educational Projects: Pastor John established 16 schools along the China-Myanmar border, providing free education, clothing, and food to more than 2,000 impoverished minority children.
- Community Aid: He funded and constructed drug rehabilitation centres and consistently organized the delivery of essential medical supplies to isolated, poverty-stricken mountain villages.
Critical Medical Status
Fourth-Stage Cancer: Pastor John has been diagnosed with fourth-stage prostate cancer that has metastasized to his spine and bone marrow.
Current Constraints: The disease severely restricts his physical mobility and causes intense bone pain, and recent photos show him now needing a wheelchair to get around. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy and radiation in Changsha, with treatment costs covered entirely by donations, as he has no access to social medical insurance. He has continued to care for his elderly mother there despite his own declining health. Without a passport or national ID, he remains unable to return to his wife and two sons in North Carolina for the advanced oncology care and treatment options only available to him in the U.S. — and his one-year-old grandson, Conner, has never met him.
A Powerful Testimony of Healing
The following is not part of Pastor John's documented story, but a personal reflection that came to mind as I was praying for him.
As I prayed about Pastor John, Ruach Ha Kodesh reminded me of the testimony of another pastor who had been diagnosed with fourth-stage cancer. He was from Lindsay, Ontario, and had been admitted to Kingston Hospital for treatment. Given only a few weeks to live, the staff asked if there was anything he would like to do. He replied that he had some friends who played music — could they come and do a concert for everyone in the ward? During that concert, a wave of revival swept through the room as many people gave their lives to the Lord — and simultaneously, his health was completely and supernaturally restored!
It is in my heart to pray for such a miracle to happen once again.
Legal Background and Imprisonment
- Arrest and Sentencing: In March 2017, Chinese authorities intercepted Pastor John while he was returning from his missionary work. He was sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of "organizing illegal border crossings."
- International Ruling: The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention later reviewed the case and ruled his imprisonment a violation of international law. He completed the full sentence and was released on March 5, 2024, but his travel documents remain withheld by state authorities, and he is under strict surveillance — including police cameras installed at his mother's apartment in Changsha, where he has been staying.
- Identity: The minister trapped by these circumstances is Pastor John Cao, a 67-year-old Christian missionary and lawful permanent U.S. resident who spent decades splitting his time between his family in North Carolina and his missions.
Pastor John Cao served his complete seven-year sentence but is now facing a severe stage 4 cancer diagnosis while being barred from leaving China to see his family in the United States. (Photo courtesy of VOMC / ChinaAid)
Faith in Action & Scriptural Prayer Directives
- Pray for Supernatural Healing and Restoration: Remembering the Kingston Hospital miracle, pray for an identical breakthrough for Pastor John. Command the cancer in his bones and spine to vanish in such a miraculous way that it will sway the hearts and minds of many.
- Pray for Miraculous Provision: Pray that all necessary funds for his ongoing medical care, legal aid, and eventual relocation costs are supplied in such a miraculous way that it will open the eyes and hearts of many.
- Pray for an Awakening for Leadership: Pray that the President of China has an immediate, eye-opening experience identical to King Xerxes in the Book of Esther, prompting him to look into the facts of Pastor John's service and return his passport.
- Pray for His Persecutors: In accordance with Matthew 5:44, "pray for those who persecute you." Pray for the transformation of the officials, judges, and guards who maintain these travel restrictions.
- Pray for Protection of His Family: Pray for his wife and sons in North Carolina as they wait, and for strength and peace during this prolonged separation.
- Pray for the American Delegation: Pray for those representing Pastor Cao's case, that their appeals would be heard and heeded.
James 2:26 states, "faith without works is dead." To actively put this faith into action, a public petition at BringCaoHome.com — a joint effort of RevelationMedia and ChinaAid — is gathering signatures to compel U.S. officials to launch a direct humanitarian appeal for his passport before President Trump's meeting with President Xi Jinping on September 24.
China Aid has a book of the poems Pastor John wrote while in prson for sale here on Amazon. That might be of interest to members if your congregation.
About the Author
Sister Su is a survivor through her Saviour and has been blessed to see many miracles in her life. Currently digging her way out from under a mountain of debt while battling chronic illness, she dreams of one day earning her doctorate in practical theology.
For more information, visit her Linktree- Sister_Su_Buys.
