Four of the church’s leaders were also arrested in one of the largest operations against this network of house churches.
House Churches
Worshiping in a Bathhouse to Evade Persecution
To avoid raids and arrests, house church believers disguise their venues or opt to pray in the mountains, just to stay away from the watchful eyes of the regime.
Exorbitant Fines Imposed on Landlords of Religious Venues
Anyone renting to a house church can be punished with a steep fine – up to $ 30,000. The measure, supported with propaganda, has left many churches homeless.
House Churches Targeted as Criminal Mobs
Rewards for informers, registration of believers, propaganda, and more – Jiangxi Province spares no effort to eradicate churches not yet controlled by the CCP.
House Churches Brutally Suppressed in Southern China
Flouting legal proceedings and using force, officials continue to crack down on unofficial places of worship, with the ultimate goal of total eradication.
Over 100 House Church Believers in Shanxi Threatened with Arrest to Renounce Their Faith
A place of worship in Taiyuan city was forcibly shut down for “disturbing public order,” its congregation members taken away for interrogation.
Looting House Churches to Prevent Their Resurgence
To ensure that congregations have no means to reopen closed down places of worship, CCP is confiscating their assets and burning Bibles and religious symbols.
Taizhou, Zhejiang: House Church Believers Prepared to Be Arrested for Their Faith
Unapproved Protestant churches are bracing for more crackdowns, as local officials are planning a new round of suppression in the second half of the year.
Crackdown on Christianity in Jilin: Over 100 Church Crosses Removed
Clergy and congregation members from state-approved and house churches alike worry that the persecution of Christianity is only going to escalate.
Shanxi’s House Churches Closed for Suspected Foreign Ties
Any association with overseas religionists is one of the many popular pretexts for the CCP to eliminate the places of worship refusing to join Three-Self Church.