News

More than 40 armed police officers along with officials from the local department of religious affairs and the neighborhood committee disrupted and forcibly ended a church service on Sunday May 27th at Huoshui Church in China’s northern Gansu province.

The government accused congregants of “setting up religious venues and organizing religious activities without permission.” Church members stated that the intruders took away the offering box, podium, and numerous works of calligraphy owned by the church. The disrupters then carted off Pastor Qian Rou, along with three other preachers and three church directors, to the police station, where they were questioned and detained until 2 p.m.

As a result, Zion Church in Beijing released the “Prayer Letter for the Huoshui Church of Lanzhou” the next day. The letter urges the government to end church persecution and handle public relations with Christians in an open manner and asks officials to create new laws to protect religious freedom and ensure legal supervision in religious affairs cases.