Three-Self church in Mahu (Yuanshan) village of Shanggao county, before the removal of the cross
Authorities in Jiangxi Province replace religious symbols with Party slogans in “official” churches that belong to the China Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Movement.
At 11 a.m. on July 27, 2018, government officials and local party cadres from Nangang town, in Shanggao county of Yichun city, dismantled the cross on a Three-Self church in Mahu (Yuanshan) village. Afterward, a slogan “Listen to the Party, follow the Party” in large Chinese characters was written above the church door; more Communist mottos have been written on the walls inside the church.
The same slogan was inscribed on an outside wall of another Three-Self church in the county’s Meisha village after its cross had been forcibly removed on July 29. Village officials employed local masons for this task. After the cross’s demolition, the walls of the church have become a billboard of Communist Party propaganda.
On August 10, village party official removed the cross of the Chengfang Church in Xiacun village of Xinyu city. A slogan calling to “follow the Communist Party” was written in large Chinese characters on the roof of the church.
Since 2014, the forced removal of church crosses began to spread throughout China, as part of Xi Jinping’s campaign to “sinicize” religion” – adapt religion to socialism and the CCP.
Reported by Lin Yijiang
The cross was dismantled from a Three-Self church in Mahu (Yuanshan) village; a slogan “Listen to the Party, follow the Party” was written above the entrance
Gospel Hall in Meisha village, before the removal of the cross
After the cross was removed from Gospel Hall in Meisha village of Shanggao county, a slogan “Listen to the Party, follow the Party” was written on the church’s inner wall
The cross of Chengfang Church has been replaced by the slogan “follow the Communist Party.”
Uses a pseudonym for security reasons.
