China persecution: Government authorities raid online church service
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – As China’s Communist Party (CCP) regime continues its policy of “Sinicizing” the church, on July 11 government security officials raided a Guangdong province church as its leaders preached an online service through Zoom, International Christian Concern reports. China ranks 17 on the US Open Doors Watch List of top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Just one of many recent raids on churches in China, the July 11 incident took place at Guangdong’s Shenzhen Trinity Gospel Harvest Church, where Pastor Mao Zhibin and Elder Chu Yanqing were preaching an online message, ICC said.
CCP security agents and police officers surrounded the church building and forced the two Christian leaders to stop preaching, ICC reports. Shenzhen Trinity was likely targeted as the church is a strong advocate for justice in China and many dissidents have joined it.
According to International Christian Concern, the CCP is conducting a “Sinicizing” policy against churches because it depends on a strong Chinese cultural identity to stay in power. “New restrictions on the internet, social media and non-governmental organizations, and 2018 regulations on religion are strictly applied and seriously limit freedom,” ICC reports.
“Churches are being monitored and closed down, whether they are independent or part of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, the officially sanctioned Protestant church in China,” ICC said.
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