Seven House Church Leaders in Shandong Detained for Bible Study; One Pastor from Taiwan Expelled; One House Church Pastor in Jilin Woundedby Staff
May 17, 2008
MIDLAND, Texas, (christiansunite.com) -- China has been intensifying its campaign against the House Church Christians recently. CAA learned that in the morning of May 8 (Beijing Time), three house church leaders in Shandong province were detained while organizing a Bible study group. One pastor from Taiwan was expelled from China immediately. He will not be allowed to come back to China for 5 years. Meanwhile, four other church leaders from the same province have been detained since the beginning of May. One pastor from Jilin province was beaten up on May 4 for his independent church activities.
According to eyewitness reports, at approximately 11:30am, about 30 church leaders from different provinces of China were raided at a rented house at Qingzhou City Shandong province while having a three-day Bible study led by a pastor from Taiwan. Over 20 officers from PSB and Religious Affairs Bureau of both Weifang and Qingzhou city riding in 6 police vehicles carried out the raid. They declared the meeting an "illegal gathering" because it was not registered. All of the church leaders were forced to register their ID numbers and home addresses. 23 of them are students who are studying church worship music in a school run by the local House Churches.
One local House Church pastor told CAA after he was released that 28 year old pastor Zhang Yongliang who is the organizer of both the music school and the Bible study was detained along with his parents. When Zhang's father was beaten by the PSB during the raid, Zhang's mom tried to talk to the police, then both of them were detained for the charge of "obstruction of justice."
The PSB also confiscated all of the music instruments and one computer from the church music school.
CAA also learned one House Church pastor in Yanji city, Jilin province was beaten up and wounded on May 4. Pastor Hao Yuji was arrested by the PSB of Yanji city while he was preaching in his church that day. He was told by the PSB officials he should dissolve his church. When pastor Hao asked why, he was beaten up. Both his head and chest were wounded. Pastor Hao left the government sanctioned corrupted Three-Self church and established a House Church a few years ago.
Moreover, in Jiaxiang County Shandong province four House Church Christian leaders have been detained. 25-yeaqr-old Ms.Qiao Lei and 24-year-old Ms. Wang Qin were arrested at Yantun village, Wangtun town by the PSB of Jiaxiang Couty for being accused as being 'evil cult members'; on May 3, another two Christians Mr. Cao Guanggen and Mr Jin Heshui(42- year-old) were also detained. All four are still being held at the PSB office of Jiaxiang county.
The Chinese government has been intensifying its crackdown against House Church Christians recently because of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. CAA urges the Chinese government to immediately release these detained innocent House Church pastors and believers.
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