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| Officials raid a church in an undated photo. (Photo: ChinaAid) |
ChinaAid
(Xuzhou, Jiangsu—Nov. 21, 2018) On Sunday, numerous plainclothes and uniformed police broke into Dao’en Church in China’s eastern Jiangsu province, interrupting a worship service.
As the authorities raided the church, the Christians continued to sing hymns in protest.
This is not the first time authorities disturbed the church. On the morning of Sept. 7, more than 10 people from the police station and the local religious affairs bureau entered the church and arrested seven congregants.
Officials claimed that the church was not registered with the government and organized events at an unapproved venue, so Christians should not be allowed to attend religious services. According to Chinese law, churches must register with the government and submit itself to censorship in order to be considered a legal place for religious events.
Three out of Dao’en Church’s five church locations have been shut down by authorities in the past two weeks. The police pressured the landlords, not allowing them to rent to the church.
ChinaAid exposes abuses, such as those suffered by the members of Dao’en Church, in order to stand in solidarity with the persecuted and promote religious freedom, human rights, and rule of law.
ChinaAid Media Team
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