China Aid Association
(Midland, TX – Dec. 30, 2010) Christmas brought no let-up in the Chinese government’s persecution of house church Christians, with more reports coming to ChinaAid Association of Christians being detained, Christmas services disrupted and another group of house church Christians left with no place to meet.
Caption: Wang Jinfeng’s Public Security Administrative Penalty Notice
On Dec. 22, three Christians from Qitai county, in the far northwestern region of Xinjiang, were taken into police custody for five days. They were two women, Wang Jinfeng and Pan Fengying, and a man, Wang Jingfu. They were released on Dec. 27. According to the administrative penalty notice from the police, they were detained because the three had attended an “illegal Christian gathering” on the morning of Dec. 21 in the home of Wang Jinfeng at Zhongqu Xizaozi Village in Dongwan Town.
A house church in Jiaozhou, coastal Shandong province, led by Brother Zhan Gang, who is also vice chairman of the Chinese House Church Alliance, was again targeted for official persecution during the Christmas period and now its members are without a place to meet.
In Bengbu, coastal Anhui province, three churches planned a joint Christmas service for Dec. 23 for some 1000 people. Even though one of the organizing churches was a government-approved Three-Self Patriotic Movement church and even though the Three-Self church had been rehearsing for the special service for a long time, the local Public Security Bureau forced the cancellation of the service. All three churches are now very angry.
ChinaAid condemns these local governments for violating the legitimate rights of churches to celebrate Christmas. At the same time, ChinaAid is pleased to see even more house churches teaming up with Three-Self churches that peach the true Gospel, because doing so gives Satan no room to maneuver and also foils the schemes of the State Administration of Religious Affairs and the “two committees” (that is, the Three-Self Patriotic Association and the China Christian Council) to split the church. Of course, while being firm and bold, it is also important to be cautious and nimble, because the alliance of the house churches with some Three-Self churches on the basis of the true Faith is what Satan and the government most fear and therefore is what they most want to attack.
China Aid Contacts
Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.chinaaid.org
