The persecuted church, banned in 2018, refuses to disappear. The authorities continue their efforts to destroy it.
by Qi Junzao
At approximately 10 am on Sunday, October 20, 2024, several congregations of the Zion Church in Beijing were raided at the same time, as church elders reported to human rights organizations.
Beijing Zion Church was once the largest house church in Beijing. Although it was banned in 2018, followers have persisted in assembling despite frequent arrests and harassment, consistently shifting locations to avoid police detection. “Bitter Winter” has constantly followed its persecution and resilience.
Police and religious affairs authorities mobilized 20 to 30 officers along with many vehicles. Simultaneously, they forcefully entered multiple meeting sites in Guomao, Wangjing, Yizhuang, and Shijingshan, disrupting the Sunday worship services.
They registered the identities of those who were attending the meetings and forcibly took away a total of 12 people, including Elder Qin Guoliang.
By 8:00 p.m., the other church members had been released, but Elder Qin Guoliang was given a 14-day administrative detention by the police for “illegally organizing a gathering.”
Uses a pseudonym for security reasons.
