Source: Direct Reports from China
Date: July 3, 2018
On June 13, authorities demolished a church nearing completion in the village of Huangzhuyuan in Henan Province. A four-storied building of 2,000 square-meters that cost over 1.1 million RMB to build has been reduced to rubble without serving as a place of worship even for a day.
At 9 a.m., almost thirty vehicles arrived at the village, which is in Jizhong town, Dancheng County, Zhoukou city, and surrounded the church. A group of over a hundred people, including armed policemen, government officials, and villagers has gathered outside the building. Church leaders, preachers, and over a dozen elderly believers stayed inside the church trying to protect it from demolition. The two sides were in a stalemate for a couple of hours; the government officials continually urged the believers in the church to evacuate, intimidating and harassing them. Eventually, the believers, hoping to protect the safety of the church leaders, left the building. As soon as they came out, two excavators began tearing down the church.
Two days later, the main church building was completely taken down. All the money to build the church came from offerings made by believers. It was under construction for one and half years, starting in November of 2016.
A witness filmed how the church was gradually demolished.
