Detained for Attempting to Share the Gospel with the President

Bitter Winter, International Christian Concern, ChinaAid 10 March 2022

Zhou Jinxia smiling and holding her Gospel sign. — Zhou Jinxia
Photo: ChinaAid

A Christian woman in China was detained on February 20th after repeated attempts to share the Good News with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan. In her latest attempt, the Christian woman, Zhou Jinxia, waited at Beijing's Zhongnanhai Xinhua Gate for the couple to pass by so she could personally share the Gospel message with them. According to ChinaAid, she has visited the gate with evangelistic signs over 50 times in recent years and, as a result, was detained several times.

In 2015, Zhou was detained for ten days, and again in March 2016 for allegedly "picking quarrels and provoking trouble." In 2018, she had been arrested for holding a sign that proclaimed, "God loves the people of the world and is calling out to Xi Jinping." In June 2021, she was driven from her village for her evangelistic efforts in the community.

During the most recent incident, she was removed from the area by police and returned to her hometown of Dalian. There she was charged by local authorities for allegedly causing trouble. Zhou has been described as "an unbreakable, irrepressible Christian woman." She began her campaign after coming to the realization that there will be no solution to the problems facing China unless President Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan receive God in their hearts. For more reports addressing the challenges facing Christians in China, go to our country report.

Praise God for unshakable believers like Zhou who are prepared to put their own lives on the line to share the Gospel message. May the Lord give this Christian woman wisdom and guidance at this present time, as well as in the future, as she seeks to proclaim His Word to all those whom she encounters. Pray that she will soon be released from custody and granted the freedom to resume her ministry work.

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

Suspended Sentences Revoked for Two Believers

Elder Xue Shaoqiang and Sister
Wan Chunqin with some friends.
Photo: ChinaAid

In 2023, Elder Xue Shaoqiang and Sister Wan Chunqin of the Bengbu Living Stone Reformed Church were arrested on accusations of "fraud" – a charge frequently used by Chinese authorities to target members of unapproved churches. The believers were sentenced to 30 months in prison, followed by a four-year suspended sentence. After their release on January 8th, 2025, both Christians were subjected to strict conditions. However, upon allegedly failing to comply with what they described as "excessively harsh and unreasonable" measures, their suspended sentences were revoked.

Read more...
House Church Bible Study Gathering Raided

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.

Read more...
Pastor Arrested for "Illegal Business Operations"

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.

Read more...
Detained Pastor's Family Faces Harassment

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.

Read more...