Elder Chang Shun has been detained for the third time in six months, together with eight believers.
by Jiang Tao
There is no peace for the Maizhong Reformed Church, a house church in Fuyang, Anhui province, which refuses to join the government-controlled Three-Self Church. After the raid of January 18, 2024 during a prayer meeting for children, reported by “Bitter Winter” on January 23, another raid has hit the fiercely independent community.
On March 10, there has been a new police intervention, and Elder Chang Shun has been detained again. As reported by Elder Chang’s wife and local believers, uniformed police officers raised and disrupted a prayer gathering of adults without showing any mandate or document. The devotees who insisted for seeing a mandate were detained. Cell phones and computers were also confiscated.
In the end, eighteen believers were taken to the police station. Eight were informed they will remain in administrative detention for 13 days, and Elder Chang for 15 days. It is the third time in six months Elder Chang is detained.
When a house church starts being targeted it is never left alone, until it either disappears or is compelled to join the Three-Self Church.
