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China

• Christian Magazine Editor Under Investigation

  The Chinese government has shut down a quarterly Christian magazine that encourages the faith of up to 100,000 believers and provides information on recent incidents of persecution. The underground magazine, Ai Yan (which translates as Love Feast), benefits thousands of urban underground churches, as well as rural house churches.

  Recently, police have closed the factory that prints Ai Yan and arrested the owner. The editor, who is also under police investigation, subsequently decided to temporarily suspend the publishing of Ai Yan. She is hoping to begin printing a second magazine titled, Show the Way.

  Thank you for upholding the arrested printer, asking God to mediate on behalf of this case. Pray also that the editor, who is presently under investigation, will find a way to print the second magazine, "Show the Way," while "Ai Yan" is suspended. May the printing and distribution of Christian publications in China resume without government interference so unity can be promoted among the country's numerous believers and encouragement provided for their ongoing spiritual growth.

• Pastor Endures Poor Treatment in Detention

  
  Yang Hua preaching in an undated photo.
  Photo: ChinaAid

  Lawyers representing incarcerated church pastor Yang Hua discovered during a recent visit with their client that he has been suffering from serious health conditions. Yang, who has been in police custody since December 9th of last year for "divulging state secrets" and other falsified charges, is experiencing pain due to a liver condition and additional major health concerns.

  Previously, China Aid had received a report from Yang's lawyers, Chen Jiangang and Zhao Yonglin, confirming his poor treatment at the hands of government officials. According to an interview Chen and Zhao conducted with Yang, prosecutors visited him twice, applied pressure to his feet, and repeatedly threatened to kill him and harm his family members if he failed to confess his supposed crimes. After obtaining this information, the lawyers sued the prosecution team, accusing them of "using torture to extort a confession," and requested that the prosecution receive legal repercussions.

  Yang's lawyers originally understood that his trial would take place soon after the admittance of evidence to the courts. However, as of yet, no trial date has been announced. More information on the challenges facing Christians in China is available here.

  Please pray that Yang will be renewed in spirit, soul, mind and body. May he sense the nearness of our Almighty God's reassuring presence, filling him with greater confidence and faith during this time of trial. Also intercede for Yang's lawyers as they advocate what we hope will be a fair trial and Yang's release so he can receive greatly needed medical attention. May God's peace, strength, wisdom and favour be upon Yang, his loved ones, as well as those representing him, in Jesus' all-powerful name.

• Released Lawyer Under Surveillance

  
  Zhang Kai
  Photo: Zhang Kai via ChinaAid

  Security officials have been noticed near the home of Christian lawyer Zhang Kai, and they appear determined to put him back behind bars. Zhang was released from detention this March after being held eight months for representing Zhejiang churches in opposition to the government's forceful removal of their crosses. More about the cross removal campaign can be found here.

  In February, while still in detention, Zhang participated in a televised interview where he seemed to criticize fellow lawyers who had been arrested during China's recent crackdown on human rights activists. Then, on August 30th, a statement retracting that criticism appeared on Zhang's social media feed. It said he had been forced to smear his fellow lawyers, including Zhou Shifeng, who was sentenced to seven years in prison for "subversion." (A report on Zhang's arrest is available at this page.)

  "It was a forced act out of fear and I'm retracting all of my comments," the statement said. Zhang's social media account has since been deleted. Now Public Security Bureau officials are monitoring his home.

  Pray that Zhang Kai will know God as his "fortress, rock and deliverer" (Psalm 18:2). May he experience the Lord's perfect peace and protection. Please intercede for all who are affected by this crackdown on China's churches, including the lawyers trying to represent them. Ask God to touch the hearts of the governing officials involved so that they may also seek the truth of the Gospel and receive His gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

• New Believer Thankful for God's Word

  
  Chinese Christians treasure
  the Bibles that they
  have been given.

  A Christian believer in China recently sent The Voice of the Martyrs ministry a letter of thanks after receiving a Bible during a VOM-sponsored Bible distribution. Wang Xiuling wrote:

  "Thank you for your selfless love and offering which enabled many people here to get Bibles, the precious words of God. To be honest, I have never read through a book in the Bible. I only had a superficial knowledge of God's words. I have not believed in the Lord for long. I am still young in my spiritual life. I hope that I can read God's words carefully this time."

  We appreciate your prayers on behalf of Wang, as well as other recipients of VOM's Bible distribution in China, that they may receive the fullness of God's Word -- and thus increase in their faith and knowledge of our Lord Jesus.

• Pastor of State-Run Church Released!

  
  Zhang Chongzhu
  Photo: ChinaAid

  The pastor of a state-run church in China's coastal Zhejiang province was released at noon on May 9th after an eight-month detention. Authorities took Zhang Chongzhu, the pastor of Pyongyang Three-Self Patriotic Movement Church, into custody on September 8, 2015. The detained Christian leader, who spent most of the year resisting a government-backed cross demolition campaign, was charged with "stealing, spying, buying, or illegally providing state secrets or intelligence to entities outside China."

  This same charge was given to Zhang Kai, a human rights lawyer who legally defended churches affected by the demolition efforts. Both men had been scheduled to meet with the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom, David Saperstein, causing members of Zhang Chongzhu's church to suspect a correlation between this meeting and his detention.

  To review a report on the recent release of Zhang Kai, click here. For previously posted reports on the cross demolition campaign, you may also wish to check this page.

  Rejoice with us over the release of these steadfast brothers in Christ, who have suffered in prison for standing up for our God. It is not an easy task to remain firm in one's beliefs when trouble arises, but we are reminded in His Word that believers who do so will be rewarded in eternity. Please pray for those who wish to remove all signs of Christianity from China’s landscape. May they witness the strength and compassion of Jesus Christ through the lives of His children and, as a result, personally experience His transforming love as well.

• Tragic Incident at Church Demolition

  A church that was demolished in China.

  The wife of a church leader in the central Chinese province of Henan was tragically buried alive underneath the rubble of their demolished church where she suffocated and died. On April 14th, a demolition team was instructed to destroy the Beitou Church in Zhumadian in order to pave the way for new developers to take ownership of the lucrative property.

  In an attempt to stop the destruction of the building, church leader Li Jiangong, accompanied by his wife Ding Cuimei, stood in front of the bulldozers. The demolition workers purposely continued with their work, eventually burying the couple underground. Li Jiangong dug his way up to the surface but, unfortunately, he was unable to save his wife in time.

  A member of the demolition team was heard to have said just before the incident: "Bury them alive. I will be responsible for their lives." The two demolition workers were later criminally detained by the local authorities because of pressure from the media. Other reports on persecution in China are available at our online country report.

  Pray that the Lord will bring an overwhelming sense of comfort, peace and strength to the surviving church leader, Li Jiangong, and his family as they come to terms with their sudden great loss. Ask that He would also make His loving presence known to the believers of Beitou Church, so they will experience tremendous comfort during this difficult time as well. May this tragedy be used by the Lord to bring attention to the plight of the suffering church in China and, additionally, to reach those desperately in need of His forgiveness and salvation -- including the very ones responsible for the crime.

• Human Rights Lawyer Released

  
  Zhang Kai (right) in Washington, D.C.
  Photo: ChinaAid

  It was announced that Zhang Kai, the lawyer who was detained in southeastern China for defending churches affected by a provincial government's anti-cross campaign, has been recently released by the police. While he and his family could not be reached for a comment, China Aid, a Christian rights group based in the United States, has confirmed his release.

  Zhang was detained last August in Wenzhou, a commercial city of Zhejiang province that's known for its strong Christian influence. However, for the past two years, officials have been waging a campaign enforcing the removal of crosses from church buildings across the province. To learn more about the cross demolition campaign, click here.

  A brief message posted to Zhang's account on the WeChat social network announced that he was back home: "I have returned to my home in Inner Mongolia safely. Thank you to all my friends for your concern, caring and...consolation. And thanks to the Wenzhou police who have taken care of me during this time." Information on Zhang's arrest and charges is available at this page.

  We can rejoice along with others around the world -- especially our Christian brothers and sisters in China -- who are offering praises to God for His intervention in the safe release of Zhang Kai, and for the guidance and care that was provided throughout this Christian lawyer's imprisonment. Pray that the Lord's peace and guidance will continue to be with Zhang as he adjusts to life beyond the confinement of prison walls. May God's divine intervention also be evident in the lives of others in Zhejiang who are experiencing challenges due to their Christian faith, blessing them beyond measure for their faithfulness in the midst of trial.

• More Crosses Forcibly Removed in Zhejiang

  
  A demolition crew removes
  the cross atop Dajing Church.
  Photo: ChinaAid

  The Chinese government, which continues in its attempt to eliminate the power of Christianity, has removed four more crosses from atop various churches. The city of Wenzhou has been the primary target of the regime as the Zhejiang province is considered the 'Jerusalem of the east' due to its number of thriving churches.

  According to China Aid, the number of crosses destroyed in Zhejiang as a result of the campaign has now reached an estimated 2,000; with 49 of them having been removed in the province since the beginning of 2016 alone. (A previous report on the situation may be reviewed at this page.) To prevent congregants from halting the demolition process, government officials have even opted to wait until the churches are vacated at night to dismantle the crosses.

  Churches protesting against the cross removals have had their water and electricity cut off, forcing services to be held elsewhere as the buildings are deemed unusable. Despite government notices and orders being plastered on church doors, believers have taken risks in their efforts to stop the advance of demolition crews. Church leaders and others opposing the campaign have been taken into custody, some never to be heard from again. For information on China's mysterious "black jails," click here.

  Please join us in praying on behalf of all those affected by the extensive anti-cross campaign throughout the Zhejiang province. May these Christians be greatly encouraged by the Lord who promises to continue His vigilant ministry among them. While the governing officials may try to remove the churches' crosses from the country's skyline, they will never succeed at eradicating Christianity. In fact, we believe that God will bring about even more exponential spiritual growth and revival! Pray that the 'Light of the World' will shine ever so brightly through these believers' lives, illuminating God's truth to such an extent that it will revolutionize the hearts and minds of multitudes in need of our Risen Saviour – including the officials responsible for the anti-cross campaign!

• Pastor Jailed for Social Media Prayers Freed

  
  Yan Xiaojie
  Photo: ChinaAid

  On February 2nd, authorities released Pastor Yan Xiaojie of the China Christian Evangelic Mission in Wenzhou city after serving five months in criminal detention. Public security bureau officials originally apprehended Pastor Yan on August 26, 2015 for circulating prayer requests on social media concerning churches that were being targeted for cross removal in the Zhejiang province.

  After Pastor Yan had been given an eight-day administrative detention, he was placed under criminal detention "indefinitely" under suspicion of "gathering a mob to disturb social order." An elder of the church, Cheng Chaohua, who had been detained the day after Yan, was thankfully released last December.

  To date, there are still eight other believers from Zhejiang province remaining in detention. Seven of them are church elders or their wives, including prominent Pastor Gu "Joseph" Yuese. The eighth is Christian lawyer Zhang Kai who has been held in an unregistered jail since July of 2015. A previous report on the case of the prominent Beijing-based lawyer, and his efforts against the cross-removal campaign, can be reviewed at this page.

  Meanwhile, the congregation of Haicheng Christian Gathering in Wenzhou received an official warning about a month ago that the cross on their premises would also be removed. Prior to receiving notification, the building's electricity and water supply had been cut off.

  May the Lord honour and vindicate these faithful believers of China's Zhejiang province who are standing strong in the face of adversity and imprisonment. Pray that their efforts will not be in vain but rather used as a catalyst in bringing about a greater awareness of the tremendous spiritual needs within their country and, ultimately, an outpouring of God's Spirit and resulting revival. Please also intercede for the provincial officials who have instigated and participated in the cross removal campaign, as well as the demolishing of churches, in hopes that they too will experience a reverential fear of the one true God.

• Church-Affiliated Kindergarten Director Released

  
  Cheng Jie and her husband,
  Du Hongbo, with their young children.
  Photo: Du Hongbo via ChinaAid

  Having served two years in prison for allegedly "engaging in illegal business operations," the director of a church-run kindergarten in China's southern Guangxi region was released on February 17th. Cheng Jie, who provided leadership for the Hualin Foreign Language Experimental Kindergarten, was picked up after being released from prison by her husband and two young sons.

  Local authorities had arrested Cheng at the school on February 18th, 2014. Four months later, on June 24th, Guangxi officials crossed the border into the neighbouring Guangdong province and detained Huang Quirui, an elder of the church that founded the kindergarten. Along with Huang, authorities detained Li Jiatao, another church member and mother of two young children; and Fang Bin, the man who was contracted to print the textbooks for the school.

  Officials alleged that all four had engaged in "illegal business operations" by printing character-education textbooks without government approval, and then selling the books rather than using them solely for internal use. The lawyer defending the four detainees countered that the books were sold for an amount that only allowed the kindergarten to break even for the printing costs and that authorities were targeting the school because it was founded by a church. A previous report on this case is available here.

  We can join fellow believers globally in praising God over the good news of Cheng's release, and the resulting joyful reunion she is now able to enjoy with her husband and children. As she transitions from imprisonment to resume life once again with her family and community, may Cheng experience God's wonderful work of healing and restoration. In fact, may she be granted even greater opportunities to proclaim the Gospel there in China and in many other parts of the world through the sharing of her testimony. In the meantime, please uphold Huang and Li as they await their release from prison which we trust will take place soon.