Christian student fellowship banned in Inner Mongolia

China Aid Association 27 October 2011

The Sept. 15 ban that was issued by the Religious Affairs Bureau
Photo: ChinaAid

Chinese police and government officials shut down a Christian student fellowship group in Inner Mongolia, China, and detained its leader in September. Authorities cited "illegal evangelism" as the reason for the ban. Mengfu (Blessed) Fellowship was forced to close and its leader, Liang Guangzhong, was put into administrative detention for 15 days as part of China's ongoing persecution of house churches and Christian groups that meet outside government-approved churches. Officials also confiscated cash from the offering collection box as well as electronics and materials used for teaching. The Mengfu Fellowship has hired a Christian lawyer to formally request a review of the orders.

Please pray that the Mengfu Fellowship would be legally vindicated and their fellowship would be restored. Pray their faithfulness will encourage other believers facing similar challenges in the region. Pray that God will raise up many more young people in China to wholeheartedly follow and serve Him.

For more on our suffering brothers and sisters in China, please visit 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.