House churches attacked

24 June 2009

The entrance of the house church in Zhengzhou City
Photo from ChinaAid

At approximately 9:15 a.m. on June 14, several dozen officials from the Municipal Bureaus of Religion and State Security broke into a house church in Zhengzhou City, Henan province, China, and arrested several believers, according to a June 23 report from ChinaAid. Officials read a notice stating that the believers had established a site for religious activities without approval. They then forcibly escorted Pastor Dou Shaowen and another believer to the Dashiqian Police Station. Officials searched Pastor Dou's home and seized a computer and other personal property. Some of the remaining believers insisted on finishing their worship service, even though authorities cut off the electricity, took videos and photos of them and demanded that they leave. After the service, several Christians were brought to the police station for interrogation and the church building was sealed. Six Christians were given 15-day detentions and were ordered to pay fines of 800-900 Yuan (approximately $135-$150 CAD).

Three house church leaders in Taochuan village, Shaanxi province were also arrested on June 14 and given 10-day sentences for engaging in "illegal religious activities," according to a June 18 report from ChinaAid. The arrest of the leaders, one man and two women, is the latest in a series of actions to shut down the house church and confiscate the building. On June 2-4, members of the congregation were summoned to the police station where they were interrogated. On June 5, a public notice from the Luonan County Bureau of Religion was posted on the church's gate which stated that the church was abolished. However, the believers continued to gather for worship at the church's gate despite pressure and threats from authorities.

Pray for the release of the imprisoned believers. Ask God to strengthen Christians in China to continue honouring Him at any cost.

To find out more about China's suffering Christians, go to the China 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.