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China: House churches raided, leaders taken away

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Chinese authorities raided four house churches this month, taking their leaders away for questioning on false allegations, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

On August 17, police raided Abundant Church in Xi’an. At the end of the raid, officers took church pastor Lian Chang-Nian and his wife Guo Jiuju together with four other church members and a nine-year-old boy to Shilipu police station for questioning. The homes of those detained were also raided, ICC reports.

On August 19, 170 police officers raided the Linfen Holy Covenant Church during an outdoor family camp in Shanxi province. All 70 of those present were searched, and all cell phones were confiscated. Church coworkers Li Jie and Han Xiaodong “went missing after the raid.” Church member Hou Guobao was also taken away.

On August 19, ethnic Nu Christians Wang Shunping and Nu Sangdeng were arrested and detained by officials from Fugong County’s Public Security Bureau in Nujiang Prefecture for “allegedly organizing and sponsoring illegal gathering,” ICC reports.
  
On August 21, police raided the House of Light Church in Jilin province during Sunday worship. Church pastor Zhang Yong (aka Guo Muyun) was taken away together with elder Qu Hongliang, and church member Zhang Liangliang away. The raid was so violent two female congregants became ill, and an ambulance was called.

“President Xi Jinping’s [Communist Party] regime is fearful of many things; one thing being people with religious beliefs,” Gina Goh, ICC Regional Manager for Southeast Asia, said in a statement. “They want to ensure Chinese citizens are loyal to the CCP’s ideology and nothing else.”

Ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime, China ranks 17th on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2022 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.