House church banned by authorities in Shanghai

11 November 2009

According to a November 4 report from ChinaAid, more than 30 officials from four government agencies barged into the Wanbang Missionary Church in Shanghai, China on November 2 and accused the believers of holding an illegal gathering. Leaders from each of the agencies, including the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau (PSB) and the State Administration on Religious Affairs, then interrogated the senior pastor, Cui Quan. PSB officers also questioned other major church partners in the city affiliated with the Wanbang Missionary Church. After concluding that church members were meeting illegally, police officers banned the church and forbade the believers from meeting together in the future. The Wanbang Missionary Church has approximately 1,200 members and is considered one of the most influential urban house churches in the country.

Pray that these believers will be encouraged to continue to meet together despite opposition (Hebrews 10:23-25). Pray for significant and lasting advances in religious freedom in China.

Click here to find out more about suffering Chinese Christians.

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.