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On the afternoon of September 14th, while travelling to the village of Lamzang in Myanmar's Chin State, Rev. Dal Thawn Tuang was wounded by the gunshots of armed military forces and killed. According to reports, he had been shot a total of three times. The assistant pastor was returning home after conducting ministry activities in another village when the fatal attack took place. Rev. Tuang, who had faithfully served at the Lamzang Baptist Church for 22 years, is survived by his wife and two children.

Over the years, the Early Rain Covenant Church has faced significant opposition, dating back to a large raid that occurred in December 2018 when more than 100 believers were arrested. The raid also involved the arrest of the church's senior pastor, Wang Yi, who was sentenced to nine years in prison. (The initially posted Persecution & Prayer Alert reporting on this situation may be accessed at accessed here.)

Pastor David Tang is the leader of the Purpose Driven Church (also known as Biaogan Church) in the city of Wenzhou. This vibrant church, which has been known to interest local young professionals and intellectuals, was forced to officially close down after refusing to join the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement. Since then, its congregants have continued to meet in a semi-underground manner.

On July 11th, police in the city of Yueyang, Hunan Province, conducted a series of coordinated raids on various house churches. (For more details regarding these incidents, see this previously posted report.)Among the targeted congregations was the Panshi Bible Church. Although most of the arrested church members were released shortly afterwards, Pastor Huang Shi Tou, along with two other believers, remained in custody.

Zhang Mei served as a lay leader in house churches across Yueyang, Hunan Province, for over 30 years. Zhang and her daughter, Li Dixuan, have since left China and are now living in Texas, where Li has married an American citizen. The mother and daughter have both applied for asylum in the United States.

Police carried out coordinated raids on multiple house churches in the city of Yueyang, Hunan Province, on July 11th. Numerous church members were taken into custody for interrogation. During the detainment, the authorities collected fingerprints, DNA samples, voice recordings and written statements.

In a sudden and unexpected turn of events, Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri from the Beijing Zion Church was released from prison on July 3rd and allowed to reunite with his family in the United States. Arriving in Los Angeles the next day, the pastor has since been warmly welcomed by his family – including a newborn grandson.

A pastor serving in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is facing possible closure of his church after authorities imposed burdensome requirements on him. The pastor, identified only as "Pastor A," leads a small house church among the Uyghur people. This particular Turkic population group is predominantly Muslim and has been subjected to significant ethnic opposition over the years. Many organizations, including the United Nations, have accused the Chinese government of human rights violations and crimes against humanity because of their persistent abusive actions against the Uyghur people.

On November 18th, Communist authorities formally arrested 18 church leaders (pastors and other staff members) of the Beijing Zion Church, charging them with "illegally using information networks." These charges were part of the officials' ongoing campaign to target the church and its various campuses. (Learn more about these arrests by reviewing this previously posted report.)

The Early Rain Covenant Church has experienced significant and sustained governmental pressure, particularly since a major raid took place in December 2018, resulting in a nine-year prison sentence against Pastor Wang Yi. Despite ongoing opposition, the church has remained steadfast in its commitment to continue gathering for worship and ministering in the community.