Church building destroyed, believers beaten in Jiangsu


Destruction of the Chengnan Christian Church
Photo from
China Aid

On the morning of December 17, the officially registered Chengnan Christian Church of Tinghu District in Jiangsu province was attacked by a mob led by government officials, according to a December 22 report from China Aid Association. Over 50 Christians were gathered for worship when police officers barged in and dragged several of the believers outside where more than a thousand people were gathered, including government officials and security guards. The crowd then demolished the church's office, training centre and cafeteria and confiscated church property. Ten believers were beaten when they tried to stop the destruction. The church has faced ongoing harassment from government officials and had obtained a court order on the evening of December 16 to protect their building from such an attack. It is suspected that the destruction was the result of officials and powerful businessmen working in collusion to obtain the coveted church property by force.

Pray for these Christians in the aftermath of this attack. Ask God to give healing to those injured. Pray that those responsible will come to repentance and be reconciled to God.

To learn more about those suffering for Christ's sake in China, go to the China Country Report.

  • 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.

China News