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China

• Worshippers Dragged from House Church

  

  The Xingguang Church in Xiamen city meets in a residence because they refuse to join the government-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement. On May 3rd, security officers burst into the home while the church was gathered for worship. The Christian men who had been guarding the door were pinned down and worshippers were forcefully dragged out of the home. Calling the meeting illegal, the officers demanded that church members stop recording with their cell phones and then confiscated them. However, a short video clip has been made available here.

• Bethel Church Pastor Arrested

   

  

  The founder of the Bethel Church near Zhangjiajie, Hunan, was formally arrested on charges of "incitement to subvert state power" on April 2nd. Just weeks prior, state security officials had raided the home of Zhao Huaiguo in the early morning of March 14th, taking him into custody.

  Although there are few details on the specifics leading to the charges, Zhao's wife, Zhang Xinghong, says the arrest was likely due to him speaking to foreign news agencies about the COVID-19 pandemic. Another probable factor was his consistent refusal to merge his church with the official Three-Self Patriotic Movement, which resulted in harassment from authorities.

• Demolition & Detention on Easter Sunday

  

  The Donghu Church in Xining has stood firm in the face of opposition for years. Even though it was officially approved by the Chinese authorities in 2003, this church of more than 300 members has faced problems for years.

  In December 2017, the fire department closed the building, citing an unspecified "hidden danger." Following this, the congregation purchased a new building but it was not approved. So the members began meeting in the Donghu Hotel instead. This was also opposed and, in December 2019, the fire department sealed the door. This did not stop the members, who climbed through a window of the church building to resume meeting together. On Christmas Day, however, the electrical power was cut off in the middle of the service and authorities told them the building would be demolished. For more details, see this report.

• Online Preaching Banned

  

  Authorities in Shandong province have issued an order banning online preaching. In a notice sent to the official churches of the province, the order stated that "all livestreamed preaching should be stopped immediately." With the outbreak of COVID-19 in China, the prevalence of Internet-based services has increased significantly. Non-registered churches have also begun using online services after being shut down by authorities.

• Religious Funerals Banned

  

  Christian funerals are being forbidden in some areas of China, as authorities begin enforcing new regulations to ensure the conducting of so-called "civilized" ceremonies. In the state of Zhejiang, funerals are only allowed to take place in government-approved church buildings. While clergy may be permitted to visit families of the deceased in homes, they are forbidden from conducting any religious ceremonies or services of prayer. If mourners do gather in a home, there can be no more than ten family members reading Scripture or quietly singing hymns.

• New Religious Regulations

  

  As of February 1st, a new series of regulations on religion were released by the Chinese government. Consisting of six chapters and 41 articles, the restrictions require all religious leaders and organizations to demonstrate complete devotion to the Chinese Communist Party. For years, the Chinese government has controlled and monitored religious organizations. Under President Xi Jinping, this has become much more overt. The Party has been set as the official head of all religious organizations. Religious symbols are being removed, replaced by flags and pictures of President Xi.

• Government-Recognized Church Faces Demolition

  

  The Donghu Church in Xining received official approval from authorities in 2003, and has been operating as a government-approved Three-Self Church by meeting the legal requirements. With more than 300 members, it is the oldest and largest church in the district. Yet, despite its official status, the church has still faced opposition from authorities.

• Women Imprisoned for Collecting Offerings

  

  The pastor of a house church in China's Hubei province, along with two other women from the church, are facing charges of fraud because they collected offering money for their church. Officials claim that the church is illegal and its pastor does not have a legal ordination; therefore, they allege the money was collected fraudulently. The pastor, Hao Zhiwei, could face more than 10 years in prison if convicted.

• Pastor Wang Yi Sentenced to Nine Years

  

  In what is believed to be the longest sentence against a house church leader in more than a decade, Pastor Wang Yi of the Early Rain Covenant Church was sentenced to nine years in prison for "inciting to subvert state power" and "illegal business operations." The charges for business operations relate to the printing and distribution of Christian books by the church.

• Four-Year Sentence for Church Elder

  

  On the evening of December 9th, 2018, a coordinated attack against the Early Rain Covenant Church began, ultimately leading to dozens of arrests and the closing of the church (see this report). Over a year later, Pastor Wang Yi and others remain uncertain of the future, as they now contend with the outcome of court proceedings.