Verdict Expected for Church Leaders; Updates on Previous Reports

04 August 2004

Zhang Shengqi with fiance

After ten months in detention, a verdict is expected in trials of three prominent house church leaders. According to an August 4 report from China Aid, the defense attorneys and family members have been notified to appear at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, August 6.

The charges against Liu Fenggang, Xu Yonghai and Zhang Shengqi stem from a case against Ms.Li Baozhi in 2000. The three are accused of leaking information about the case to an overseas magazine, "Christian Life Quarterly" as well as sending a report to China Aid Association. Liu has also been charged with leaking information on the destruction of several house church buildings. The sentence for leaking "national secrets" can be life imprisonment. For more information on the arrests of these three, click here).

There have been several other developments in China to report, listed below:


^{Xu Yonghai}	^{Lui Fenggang}

China Aid reports that all but eight of the one hundred Christians arrested on July 12 have been released (click here for more details). The eight still in custody are leaders from Ku Er Le and Urumushi. The release was surprising, since thirty had already been shaved in preparation for labour camps. The group leader expresses deep gratitude to those who worked to help secure the release.

China Aid also reports that Deborah Xu is again under house arrest, after going missing for a few days. She has been told to not leave her residence without permission from the Department of State Security. Xu was arrested on January 25 (click here).

We ask that you continue to pray for these requests, particularly for the August 6 court appearance. Continue to intercede in prayers as well as contacting government officials on behalf of these and hundreds of other Christians in prison for their faith in China. Click here for contact information.

For more information on persecution facing Christians in China, click here.

China

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

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.

Read more...
Pastor Arrested for "Illegal Business Operations"

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.

Read more...
Detained Pastor's Family Faces Harassment

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.

Read more...
Christian Lawyer Remains Missing After Eight Years

Gao Zhisheng
Photo: ChinaAid

For many years, Gao Zhisheng was a bold advocate for persecuted religious communities in China. While serving as a lawyer representing various faith groups, he himself was frequently harassed and arrested. In 2005, Gao's law practice was shut down by the government after he publicly condemned the human rights violations that were being committed against practitioners of a religious movement known as Falun Gong.

Read more...