Release International

The Chinese authorities seem to be turning up the pressure on unregistered house churches – confirming fears of a crackdown after the Beijing Olympics.

As 7x7 reported on September 2, the Communist Party had been planning an October clampdown on so-called 'dissidents' even before the Games began. And the regime's persecution record for last month certainly suggests that its campaign is well under way, according to China Aid.

In Yichun, Heilongjiang province, local officials issued a decree that all house churches in the city were banned from mid-October. Meanwhile, in Shandong province, evangelist Zhang Zhongxin's appeal against a two-year conviction for 'illegal cult activities' (7x7, July 22, 2008) has been thrown out at a hearing conducted behind closed doors.

7x7 has documented the authorities' continued harassment of Beijing pastor 'Bike' Mingxuan and his family – and the hounding of Beijing house church activist Hua Huiqi. Reuters news agency reports that Pastor Bike was detained in Kunming City, Yunnan province, on October 16. He was released from detention in Henan on October 27.

Although not part of the current crackdown on Christians, China Aid also reports that it has just discovered that 29 house church leaders from Henan province have been in jail or labour camps since July last year for being members of an 'evil cult'.

(Source: China Aid, Reuters)

Pray that China's house church movement will keep growing in size and in faith.

Pray for wisdom for house church leaders such as Pastor 'Bike' Mingxuan.

Back to top