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Pastor Zhang Mingxuan
(Photo: ChinaAid)

Police apprehended two house church pastors, Pastor Liu Fenggang and Pastor Zhang Mingxuan, on their way to visit churches for Easter on April 23. The pastors were driving from Beijing to Chengde, Hebei province, when local police stopped their vehicle at a highway exit. Both were taken to a police station and held for more than four hours. Pastor Liu was ordered to drive the car back to Beijing, under escort of authorities. Authorities drove Pastor Zhang and his wife to a local hotel, where they were still detained at last report. Pastor Zhang -- known to many as Pastor "Bike" for riding his bike across the country to encourage house church members -- has been arrested, detained and interrogated for his ministry several times in recent years (click here for more information).

Pray for peace for these detained believers. Pray authorities will repent of their unjust treatment of them. Pray Christians in China will work in unity and set their minds on Christ as they serve the Lord amid opposition (1 Corinthians 1:10). Pray religious freedom will be truly recognized throughout China.

For more on the trials facing Chinese Christians, go to the China Country Report.

Current Ministry Projects

The Voice of the Martyrs Canada continues to help distribute Bibles to Christians within China, making it possible for them to have their own print version of God's Word. Additionally, VOMC works with various mission partners to facilitate a Biblical understanding of persecution and discipleship, presenting Chinese believers with effective ways in which they can respond and minister within the context of hostility.

Project Funds: Bible (Distribution), Equipping the Saints, Underground Church

Country Information

Designation
Persecuted

Population
1,397,897,720 (July 2021 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Han Chinese (91.6), Zhuang (1.3), Other (7.1)

Religion (%)
Buddhism (18.3), Christianity (5.2), Islam (1.8), folk religion (21.9), Muslim (2) Hinduism (<0.1), Judaism (<0.1), other (0.7), unaffiliated (51.8)

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.

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