Release International

Sixteen house church leaders remain in detention after raids on meetings in Hubei and Henan provinces.

In the most recent raid, Pastor Lian Changnian was arrested after being caught leading more than 100 believers in a Bible study in Xiantao City, Hubei, on March 20.

Earlier, on March 13, some 60 church pastors were detained when Public Security Officials raided a leadership meeting of what is thought to be the Henan Fangcheng Mother Church in Wen County, Henan. About 100 officials were sent to round up every person in the building.

After being interrogated and relieved of their cash, 36 church leaders from the Wen County meeting were released within 24 hours. A further three were freed after five days and six more on March 20. Fifteen remain in custody in various detention centres, including a 15-year-old evangelist.

China Aid reports that all of the pastors had been tortured with electric shock batons. One Christian lady aged 21 was so humiliated after being forced to strip by police that she 'has left home'. Pastor Li Gongshe, 51, was hospitalised with a broken rib. It is believed that the pastors were accused of being 'illegal evil cult members'.

The whereabouts of six of the 15 pastors detained in Henan are unknown. One of them is 72-year-old Ma Wenqing who was hosting the meeting in her house. Christian leaders fear that the reason they are missing may be because they have been beaten so severely that the police are trying to avoid family visits, according to China Aid.

Two prominent human rights lawyers Zhang Xingshui and Dr Fan Yafeng from Beijing have agreed to take on this case.

• Pray for these 16 house church leaders still being detained in Henan and Hubei. Pray that God would encourage and uphold them amid possible torture and abuse.
• Ask God to protect from further harassment all those pastors who have now been released.

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