Release International

The Christmas and New Year celebrations brought no respite for Chinese Christians as police and security officers went on the offensive.

On December 21, Beijing pastor 'Bike' Mingxuan was detained yet again in Wulanhaote in Inner Mongolia, where he was due to preach. He was sentenced to 15 days' administrative detention for 'operating an illegal organisation' and held in a cold, dark cell without warm clothes or blankets. Fortunately, he was freed within 24 hours after an international outcry.

Then, on Christmas Day, at least two house churches were raided – one in Bozhou, Anhui province, and one in Qitai, Xinjiang province. A total of nine leaders are still in detention.

Meanwhile, nine Christian women were arrested as they took part in a nativity play in Yucheng, Henan province, on Christmas Eve: four remain in detention. On the same day, officials beat and detained a group of Christians who were helping to rebuild homes in Jingjia village in Sichuan province which was devastated by the earthquake last May.

Earlier, on December 17, police, government officials, developers and a huge mob demolished the Chengnan Christian Church in Tinghu, Jiangsu province. Less than 24 hours previously, the church had won a court case to protect their building from demolition.

China Aid is reporting that three leaders of a house church in Tai Kang, Henan, arrested in December (7x7, December 23, 2008), were sentenced to a year in a labour camp.

(Sources: China Aid, Voice of the Martyrs Canada)

Pray for all those Christians who suffered persecution over Christmas. Pray for the immediate release for those in detention – and God's rich blessings over them all.

Pray that 2009 will see greater religious freedom for China's long-suffering church.

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