Raids on House Churches Continuing

On May 11, a house church in Anshan in Liaoning province of China was raided by officials of the Public Service Bureau. Approximately forty Christians were tied up and their names recorded. While all were released later that night, the church has received a formal announcement of closure of their "illegal gathering." The former leader of the church, Li Baozhi had been recently released after serving two years in prison. She was not present that evening, however, or she would likely have been re-arrested.

A Voice of the Martyrs source contacted the local authorities in China about this raid. A government spokesman, Jin Xiangdong, confirmed the raid of an "illegal religious gathering site" because of their "disturbance of social order." He stated that any religious gathering not part of the official churches is illegal and should be closed. He estimates 20-30 such closures every year in Anshan.

This is one of many similar situations in China in recent months. Another Chinese ministry, China for Jesus, reported that 120 Christians were arrested during a meeting on April 23. All were eventually released after many were forced to pay a fine.

Despite international pressure, Chinese authorities continue to defend their claim to freedom of religion. In a May 22 article by the government-controlled Xinhua News Agency, official Chinese religious leaders attacked the latest report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released on May 13. In the report, the USCIRF lists China among "countries of particular concern" and criticizes it as a "particularly severe violator of religious freedom." In response, Father Jos Ma Yinglin, secretary-general of the Chinese Catholic Bishops College, said, "Such a judgment based on mere hearsay doesn't match the facts I see. Since the country's opening-up and reform, all kinds of religions have grown fast. The religious cause of China has entered its heyday."

While this growth may be accurate, it is clearly not a result of Chinese government policy as hundreds of Chinese believers are in prison for their faith.

Pray for the thousands of Christians throughout China facing threats, intimidation, arrest, and possibly death because of their faith in Christ. Pray that those in prison for their faith will receive added strength from God's Spirit, so that they might have a renewed sense of their freedom in Christ, despite their chains.

  • 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

  • House Church Bible Study Gathering Raided
    Three police officers are browsing through a phone as a church member looks on.
    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.

  • Pastor Arrested for "Illegal Business Operations"
    Huang Yizi is speaking on the phone while in prison.
    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.

  • Detained Pastor's Family Faces Harassment
    Chang Shun is holding his little boy. Both are smiling.
    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.