Children Among 100 Christians Arrested During Service

International Christian Concern, VOM Australia 02 October 2014

Police recently raided a house church similar to this one.
Photo: ChinaAid

Over 200 police officers raided a house church in Foshan City, Guangdong Province, on September 21st. More than 100 Christians, including children, were arrested in the raid which occurred during a Sunday service.

According to local believers, the service was raided without any prior warning. Following the incident, police left behind a notice stating that the church members were detained for conducting an "illegal gathering." Most church members, including the children, were detained for 10 to 20 hours and then released. However, at the time of the report, 30 believers still remained in police custody.

All house churches in China are considered "illegal gatherings" and are frowned upon by the government. Any believers meeting together to practise their faith in house churches risk being arrested.

Let us bring this troubling situation to our Lord in prayer, asking that He grant His peace to the precious believers affected by this raid, and especially for the children who were detained. May they not give in to fear, trusting God to protect them and strengthen their faith. Also remember those who may still be in custody, praying that they will soon be released. In addition, pray that this congregation will not give up meeting together, but instead spur each other on to worship our Risen Lord. Finally, please intercede on behalf of the authorities involved in this case. May they be moved by the witness of these believers and, as a result, come to know Him and the truth of the Gospel.

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.