 The Chengnan Three-Self Church in Jiangsu province was forcibly demolished on Nov. 19, 2010. Photo from ChinaAid |
For the fifth straight year, the government's persecution of the Church in China has continued to escalate, according to an annual report by ChinaAid Association, one of VOM's partners. The March 31 report was based on 90 known cases of persecution against Christians in China throughout 2010. As ChinaAid President Bob Fu noted, the Chinese government's stranglehold on information makes it impossible for all of the instances of Christian persecution to be documented and taken into consideration. This report is helpful, however, in revealing the widespread extent of opposition facing believers, as the incidences came from throughout China and involved people from all levels of society. It also highlighted three new alarming trends: the full-scale suppression of Christian human rights lawyers groups; use of abuse, torture and mafia tactics; and a severe crackdown on official Three-Self Patriotic Movement churches that do not accept government control. "China still has a long way to go toward true religious freedom and rule of law," said Fu.
You can download the full report from ChinaAid.
Pray that amid escalating persecution, Chinese Christians will find their comfort in Christ to be more than enough for them (2 Corinthians 1:5). Pray for continued wisdom and guidance for Christian leaders as they help equip Chinese believers to stand firm in the faith. Pray the voices of those advocating for religious freedom in China will be heard. Pray those who persecute Christians in China will be challenged by love and grace demonstrated by Christ's faithful and come to faith in the Lord (Romans 12:14, 21).
To learn more about opposition facing Chinese Christians, go to the China Country Report.
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