Church Leader Released, Others Still Detained

01 August 2007

_{Hua Huiqi, just after his release
Photo from}_{China Aid Association}

Hua Huiqi, a Beijing house church leader, was released on July 26 after serving six months in prison, according to China Aid Association. Hua was detained on January 26 and formally charged on June 4 (follow links here for more details).

Last week's Persecution & Prayer Alert reported on the detention of fifteen Chinese Christians
(click here for more details). CAA reports that eleven of them have been released following international pressure. The four from Inner Mongolia remain incarcerated.

Praise God for those who have been released. Continue to pray for strength and courage for those who are being held in prison because of their faith in Christ. Please remember to pray for Hua's mother, Shuang Shuying (77) who remains in prison and in poor health.

For more information on the persecution facing Chinese Christians, read China's Country Report.

China

Current Ministry Projects
The Voice of the Martyrs Canada continues to help distribute Bibles to Christians in the country, making it possible for them to have their own printed version of God's Word. Additionally, VOMC works with various mission partners to facilitate a Biblical understanding of persecution and discipleship, while presenting ways to effectively respond and minister within the context of hostility.

Project Funds: Underground Church, Bible, Relief & Development
Country Information
Population
1,413,142,846 (2023 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Han Chinese (91.1), ethnic minorities (8.9 - includes Zhang, Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai, and other nationalities) (2021 est.)

Religion (%)
Folk religion (21.9), Buddhist (18.2), Christian (5.1), Muslim (1.8), Hindu (< 0.1), Jewish (< 0.1), other (0.7 - includes Daoist [Taoist]), unaffiliated (52.1) (2021 est.)

Leader
President Xi Jinping (2013)

Government type
Communist party-led state

Legal system
Based on civil law system; influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems

Sources: CIA World Factbook
Pray for China
Pray that the Gospel will be proclaimed throughout China without government interference so many more names can be added to the Lamb's "Book of Life." May there also be a spirit of unity demonstrated among the country's growing churches, further strengthening existing believers and spurring them on in their ministry service and evangelistic outreach within the country's numerous communities.