Pastor and wife forced to vacate home

30 September 2009

Pastor Zhang
Photo from ChinaAid

Pastor Zhang "Bike" Mingxuan and his wife were forcibly escorted from their home on the morning of September 23 by Beijing Public Security Bureau and Religious Affairs officials, according to a September 25 report from ChinaAid. The two are being detained at an undisclosed location in Henan to "preserve stability in the province" for China's National Day celebrations on October 1. Pastor Zhang, the leader of the Chinese House Church Alliance, has been frequently attacked and detained by officials (click here for more details). He has been warned against speaking or communicating with outside sources about his detention, especially the foreign media. The couple will reportedly be held for the duration of the National Day celebrations.

Ask God to sustain and protect Pastor Zhang and his wife while in detention. Pray for significant and lasting advances in religious freedom in China.

Find out more about the plight of Chinese Christians at 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.