“Bitter Winter” uncovered more information about the suicide of Song Yongsheng, the leader of the state-run Protestant Church in Henan’s Shangqiu city.
Three-Self Church
House Churches Stifled for Refusing to be Controlled by CCP
Religious meeting venues that go against government’s requirements to joint Three-Self Church are sealed off and their pastors arrested across China.
Singing Communist Songs While Being Christian
CCP’s idea of celebrating 70 years of the People’s Republic of China – performances of patriotic songs and dances in churches. For believers, it’s an erosion of faith.
Over 40 Three-Self Church Venues Shut Down in One City
The government forced to close these state-run places of worship in Heilongjiang Province’s Hegang city in the period of four months – from March to June.
Political Courses for Clergy, Patriotic Songs for Believers
Pastors and preachers of state-run Three-Self Church are forced to undergo political re-education, as the CCP is intensifying efforts to “sinicize” Christianity.
CCP Resorts to Bread and Circuses Policy, Seeking to Keep People Away from Religion
Local authorities intensify efforts in organizing events of popular appeal to make people refute their faith and pray to the only God – the Communist Party.
The State Seized a Three-Self Church in Henan, Despite Believer’s Fierce Resistance
Under the CCP’s totalitarian rule, even state-licensed churches become “illegal” after well-organized campaigns of threats and manipulations are implemented.
Old Churches Demolished, New Ones Not Approved
Defrauded by the CCP, congregations of state-approved churches are left with nowhere to worship after they agree to tear down their dilapidated buildings.
Orders to State-Run Churches: Become More Chinese or Face Destruction
As CCP’s “sinicization” campaign intensifies, Three-Self churches are forcibly transformed, losing religious symbols and any likeness to European architecture.
Demolish or Sell! Three-Self Churches Dispersed in Jiangxi
Government-controlled Protestant churches suffer brutal crackdowns, often resulting in closures that leave large numbers of believers without a place to worship.