Church Leaders and Christian Youths Detained

05 March 2008

Henan and Xinjiang, China At approximately 12:00 a.m. on February 18, Chinese police disrupted a gathering of 250 Christians in the home of a believer in Shangqiu City, Henan province. Eighty of the believers present were detained. According to a March 3 report from China Aid Association (CAA), ten of these Christians have since been released. The 70 who remain detained are being held on charges of "making use of a cult to violate law enforcement." Police also confiscated blankets, goods, air conditioners and furniture from the believer's home.

On February 28, 11 youths and two adults were detained by Xinjiang Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials while attending a house church Bible study in Huocheng County, Qingshuihe township. The believers were held at the Qingshuihe township PSB office and released at approximately 10:00 p.m. on February 29. CAA has reported that three of the youths have recently been re-arrested and sentenced to 15 days detention.

Pray for the release of these Christians. Pray that they will faithfully share God's grace with those around them while detained and continue to give themselves fully to the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 5:50‑58).

For more information on the persecution of Christians in China, click here.

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.