Church leader brutally beaten by police

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Pastor Wang Zhanhu
Photo from ChinaAid

A house-church leader was brutally beaten this month by authorities attempting to prevent a Christian meeting in Shaanxi Province, China. On April 7, Pastor Wang Zhanhu and other members of the Cross Church in Huaxian were gathered for praise and worship when they were approached by three police officers. When the officers grabbed a microphone away from a female believer, Pastor Wang protested, saying, "How can you rob people's belongings like this?" The police then asked the pastor for his identification card, but he refused to provide it, saying that he had not broken any laws. One of the officers then started hitting the pastor's shoulders and the others soon joined in hitting him. They eventually shocked him with an electric baton, causing him to go into a coma. At last report, Pastor Wang had regained consciousness but was still being treated at a local hospital. Authorities have targeted Pastor Wang several times in recent years, raiding his home, threatening him and detaining him for 15 days for "criminal activity."

Pray for healing for Pastor Wang. Pray that he will rest in the knowledge that the Good Shepherd is with him through his sufferings (Psalm 23). Pray that religious freedom will be respected throughout China.

You can learn more about the trials facing Chinese Christians at the China Country Report.

  • 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.

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  • 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.

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