Update: Ten more Christians from Fushan Church arrested

21 October 2009

Arrested believers Yang Xuan
and wife, Yang Caizhen
Photos from ChinaAid

Church members of the Fushan Church in Linfen City, China continue to face detention and intimidation from Public Security Bureau officials, according to an October 18 report from ChinaAid. On October 10, officials offered to release ten church leaders who were arrested in late September following an attack on their church site (click here for more information), on the condition that one of the female leaders be held until further notice. The leaders refused to leave behind Pastor Yang Rongli, stating, "We are one team in the one body of Christ! We won't leave her behind alone. We will not leave prison without her." The officials then arrested Pastor Yang's youngest sister, Yang Linli, and ransacked another pastor's home. On October 11, ten more church members were arrested. Officials blamed Pastor Yang for the raids and arrests, and threatened the leaders with further violence if they did not comply with their orders.

Yang Linli was finally released on October 16 and ordered to not petition on behalf of her sister or the other detained Christians and cease further "illegal activities." Pastor Yang and another church leader, Hua Mei, were then formally accused of "illegal building and disturbing the social order by organizing masses." The next day, five other church leaders were sentenced to criminal detention. Three have since been released on parole. At last report, nine Christians remain in detention and the whereabouts of the ten Christians detained on October 11 remain unknown.

To learn more about 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.