Ongoing Church Harassment

Sign denouncing Christianity - Photo: ChinaAid www.chinaaid.org
An official sign persuading people
against Christian beliefs.
Photo: ChinaAid

As opposition to Christianity grows throughout China, churches in rural areas in particular are experiencing rapid growth. One Christian stated that "people are joining churches by the whole village, one village after another." When asked why, the believer said one factor is that limited financial resources force people to rely on God in their everyday lives.

To counteract the growing impact of the church, the Chinese government is using a variety of tools. In some areas, billboards have been erected in attempts to persuade people away from faith in God. The billboard pictured here reads, "If you go to church every day to learn about the Lord, God still cannot relieve your hardships. Follow the Party and don't believe in God. The Party can give happiness to all. If your heart is not right, believing in the Lord is useless. Go get more positive energy so that our country will be powerful and families thrive."

Throughout the country, churches have been shut down. A small rural church in the mountainous area of Bijie was completely emptied and the cross had been torn from the church's roof. Because videos of the incident were posted on the government-controlled social media platform WeChat, church members fear to discuss the incident further.

In Fujian province, officials informed Pastor Yang Xibo of the Xunsiding Church on May 11th that they intended to shut it down. The next day, government departments accessed video footage from the church's entrance and, using facial recognition software, identified those attending. Church members were then contacted at their places of employment with threats of being fired unless they pledged to no longer attend. On Sunday, May 19th, SWAT teams, along with 70 other officers, raided the church. Police were stationed outside to prevent anyone from entering and remained on site in the following days to enforce the official closure.

Please remember the many Christians throughout China who are facing overt persecution, as well as those encountering more subtle forms of pressure. Pray for the needed encouragement of believers who now have no place to gather together for worship. May the message of God's grace and love continue to spread, so others searching for spiritual truth can come to faith in Christ. Ask the Lord to also work mightily in the hearts of the officials who are opposing the message of the cross, revealing to them their need for eternal salvation and the numerous added provisions He has made available as a result.

  • 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.

China News

  • House Church Bible Study Gathering Raided
    Three police officers are browsing through a phone as a church member looks on.
    One of the church members being interrogated by police.
    Photo: ChinaAid

    Several Christians were gathered on the morning of August 22nd for a Bible study at the Beijing Holy Love Fellowship church when multiple police officers suddenly entered the facility. After demanding to see the believers' identification cards, the authorities recorded the personal details of all those who were present. At the time of publishing this report, no official statement or charges have been issued by the Beijing police.

  • Pastor Arrested for "Illegal Business Operations"
    Huang Yizi is speaking on the phone while in prison.
    Pastor Huang Yizi
    Photo: ChinaAid

    Pastor Huang Yizi, a prominent church leader in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, was informed on July 30th that he had been formally charged with "illegal business practices" relating to the distribution of sermon recordings. The Christian leader and several other church members were initially taken into custody on June 26th. At the time, the reason for their arrests was unclear. (A previously published report about the arrests is available here.) However, following the recent announcement of formal charges, further information has now come to light.

  • Detained Pastor's Family Faces Harassment
    Chang Shun is holding his little boy. Both are smiling.
    Pastor Chang Shun with one of his children.
    Photo: ChinaAid

    Since 2021, Pastor Chang Shun of the Maizhong Reformed Church in Fuyang City has encountered ongoing harassment from Chinese authorities. Unfortunately, all his appeals, in response to the multiple administrative detentions and fines he received over the years, have been unsuccessful. In 2023, Pastor Chang's church was officially banned by the government. Most recently, the harassed church leader was detained on June 29th during a raid by law enforcement officers. In this latest occurrence, he was taken into custody alongside Elder Ma Tao on suspicion of "organizing illegal gatherings." Several visiting friends and family members of Pastor Chang were also detained. Authorities forcibly relocated the visiting individuals, loading their belongings onto trucks and sending them back to their hometowns with strict orders not to return to Fuyang.