China Moves to Outlaw All Missionary Work

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – This week, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) unveiled stringent new regulations that will take effect May 1 that clamp down on missionary activities within the country, according to a prominent Christian persecution advocacy organization.

As outlined by International Christian Concern (ICC), starting May 1, these rules stringently prohibit foreigners from preaching, sharing their faith, or forming religious organizations without direct government sanction.

Chinese state media have defended the regulations, asserting that they are crucial for national security—a common justification for religious persecution by the CCP—and are intended to protect “normal religious activities.” These activities are defined as those conducted under the strict oversight of state-run institutions.

The CCP categorizes these independent religious practices as extremist or cultish, irrespective of their theological origins. As a result, the government mandates that all Christian activities must be confined to churches officially sanctioned and closely monitored by the state, thereby controlling the religious landscape.

Prominent examples of state-controlled religious institutions include the protestant Three-Self Church and the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association. These organizations promote CCP propaganda and the personality cult of President Xi Jinping through songs, sermons, and community events.

However, independent house churches operating outside the state system are often subjected to raids, and their members are arrested on charges of undermining state interests.

China is also a global leader in using technology to monitor and suppress its citizens. It employs a system that meticulously tracks individual movements and scrutinizes their loyalty to the CCP. This surveillance includes monitoring everyday details like clothing and broader aspects such as social associations to assess each citizen’s allegiance.

CCP officials use this data to track and control individuals seen as threats, particularly those involved with the unregistered house church movement or those seeking to practice religion outside the confines of state-run institutions.

Earlier this year, the Chinese government boasted about its intensified crackdown on independent religious groups in 2024. “China’s public security authorities intensified efforts to dismantle cult organizations in 2024,” the state-run Global Times reported. “They have worked to curb the growth and spread of cult organizations, mitigating potential threats to national political security and maintaining social stability.”

In the 2025 World Watch List by Open Doors, China is ranked 15th out of 50 for severe Christian persecution, up four spots from the previous year. This rise is due to stricter regulatory enforcement, resulting in the shutdown of unregistered churches and heightened scrutiny of official ones. Open Doors estimates there are about 96.7 million Christians in China.

Since the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949, Christianity has seen explosive growth from 4 million Christians to an estimated 58 million Protestants and 9 million Catholics by 2010.

Despite ongoing intense persecution and strict government controls, current estimates suggest that there are between 80 to 100 million Christians in China, including both officially registered members and those in unregistered house church communities.

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