Tags

China

• Arrests of Inquiring Loved Ones

  

  Five relatives were taken into custody after gathering outside a police station to ask about their loved ones on February 15th.

  On December 9th, around 100 members of the Early Rain Covenant Church, located in the city of Chengdu, had been taken into custody (see this report). At last report, several were still imprisoned. Concerned about the condition of their detained loved ones, and wanting more information, family members gathered outside the police station with their small children.

• New Hotline for Reporting Religious Activities

  

  A government office in Henan province announced on January 28th that a hotline has been established to report "illegal religious activities." The announcement from the Wenfeng Street Community Office promised confidentiality and offered cash rewards.

  The announcement also threatened fines of up to $39,000 CAD for homeowners who allowed a religious gathering on their property, as well as other severe penalties. The public was encouraged to "aggressively monitor" their community members for such violations.

• Authorities Remove the First Commandment

  

  While much of the opposition in China is aimed at the country's unregistered churches, the efforts of the government to impose allegiance to the state affects all Christians. The legally registered Three-Self Churches have faced orders to tear down their crosses. They have been forced to instead display the state flag and a photo of President Xi Jinping at the front of their churches. "Core socialist values" are to be integrated into the services as doctrine.

• Opposition Expands and Grows

  

  For months, an ongoing campaign against house churches has resulted in closures throughout the country. As Eric Foley from VOM Korea says, "When China shut down more and more smaller underground churches earlier this year, they watched the world's reaction carefully and found that Christians around the world would do little. This has given them boldness to shut down the largest underground churches."

• Over A Hundred Arrested

  

  On the evening of December 9th, police in Chengdu, Sichuan, began a coordinated attack on members of the Early Rain Covenant Church. Throughout the night and the next day, homes were raided and church members dragged away. Thus far, around a hundred church leaders and seminary students have been arrested. Some who have since been released claim that they were abused and deprived of food and water while in custody.

• Christians Positively Respond to Persecution

  

  Despite ongoing attacks from authorities, members of the Early Rain Covenant Church have continued to preach on the streets. In October, 20 members of the church were detained for street evangelism. Despite the danger, church members gathered together again on November 14th to hand out fliers.

• More Churches Being Closed

  

  In a continuing campaign against unregistered churches around the country, Chinese authorities have taken action in recent weeks by shutting them down or blocking access to congregants.

  On October 16th, police shut down the Guangfu Church in Guangzhou, declaring it an "unqualified venue." The church has faced opposition numerous times in the past. In July, the Religious Affairs Bureau met with Pastor Ma Ke and ordered him to join the state-run Three-Self Patriotic Movement. When the church refused, congregants were informed that they would be "overseen by the government."

• Forceful Shutdown of Zion Church

  

  When Zion Church, one of Beijing's largest underground churches, refused to install surveillance cameras which could allow authorities to monitor them, they didn't know it would end with officials storming the church building to forcefully shut it down.

  After the worship service on September 9th, government officials entered the hall where the church members met with orders to close the church and confiscate their "illegal promotional material." In August, authorities had closed seven branches of the Zion Church around the city (see this report). With this latest order, all activities of the church have been officially banned. The church's pastor, Jin Mingri, states, "I fear that there is no way for us to resolve this issue with the authorities."

• Minors Banned from Religious Activities

  

  As a "semi-autonomous state" under the control of mainland China, Tibet has maintained a unique place for being predominantly Buddhist. However, since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has adopted stricter controls over religious activities, all religions in Tibet have been affected. Most recently, controls have been enforced prohibiting children from participating in any religious activities.

• Churches Facing Government Crackdown

  

  As the Chinese government institutes new religious guidelines, churches throughout the country are facing significant problems from authorities at the local, provincial and national levels. New policies are pressuring churches to align with government ideologies in an attempt to "unify national thought."

  As a result, crosses are being torn down and authorities are ordering churches to sing patriotic songs and hang the national flag. Unregistered "house" churches are also being pressured to join along with the registered churches, where they would be under more control of the authorities.