House Church Raided, Church Activist and His Mother Attacked

Hua Huiqi, his wife and his parents
Photo from
China Aid

Reports of two separate attacks against Christians in China were received by VOMC in the past week.

On January 24, local police raided a house church worship service in Zhangchong, Anhui, according to a January 26 report from China Aid Association. Eyewitness reports claim that officers from the Public Security Bureau (PSB), the local police station, the criminal police squad and the Religious Affair Bureau broke into the house at approximately 10:00 a.m. All of the Christians present were photographed and asked to give their names and identities. The police confiscated Bibles, hymn books and various other church items, such as sound equipment, without any legal procedure. Three church leaders were taken to the police station and interrogated. They were released after being warned that their church is not allowed to meet without registering with the government.

On January 26, a well-known church activist, , and his 76-year-old mother were attacked by the local police in Beijing, according to a January 27 report from China Aid Association. Hua and his mother were walking near a 2008 Olympic hotel site at approximately 8:00 a.m. when police stopped them, threw them to the ground and started kicking them. When Hua asked the police to explain the legal grounds for their detention and to release his ill mother, they beat him repeatedly. To add to his misery, the police poured freezing cold water poured over him in the frigid weather before he was taken to a detention center.

The following day, the police contacted Hua's wife by telephone and told her that her husband had been sentenced to one month of criminal detention. Hua's family has yet to receive official notice regarding his detention.

Along with being active house church Christians, Hua and his wife also assist persecuted Christians and oppressed lower class peoples who travel to Beijing in order to appeal for justice from the central government.

Pray that Hua will be released. Ask the Lord to heal him and his mother of their injuries. Pray that members of the raided house church will be encouraged to continue to meet together despite increasing government opposition (Hebrews 10:23-25). Pray that those who persecute Christians in China will know Christ's love, forgiveness and blessing through the lives of His followers (Romans 12:14, 21).

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

  • Christian Lawyer Remains Missing After Eight Years
    Gao Zhisheng is standing in front of a building dressed in a dark blue jacket.
    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.