With nearly 100 million Christians, the Church is the largest social force in China not controlled by the Communist Party. As a result, there are increasing efforts to restrict the way Christians operate. A considerable number of Christians are still imprisoned. Church meetings continue to be disrupted in several provinces. Churches have also been closed and landlords pressured to stop renting to Christians. In 2017 some of China’s underground churches were pushed to join the state-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement, while a new law on religion is being rolled out in 2018.
Anniversary China’s chance to change
Twenty-four years on from the massacre in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, Christian Solidarity Worldwide has spoken out against the on-going detention of several Chinese activists, including Christian rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng.
China’s Christians seize internet opportunities
Chinese Christians are sharing their faith on Weibo, China’s giant, state-regulated, social network – and some are beginning to challenge the censor by speaking out against religious persecution. When Christian band Rainbow Come appeared on China’s equivalent of “The X Factor,” Christians turned to social networking to drum up votes […]
China removes Shanghai Catholic bishop from state-run church post
In a move characterised in Western media as a fresh challenge to Vatican authority, China’s state-run Catholic Church has revoked the title of the auxiliary Bishop of Shanghai. Thaddeus Ma Daqin, who is in his mid-forties, was ordained in July. His appointment had the rare approval of both Pope Benedict […]
Christians consider China’s leadership change: Q&A with Brent Fulton
China introduced its new Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party to its people and the world Thursday. The seven-man team sits at the very top of the government that will run the world’s most populous country for the next 10 years. The team is the […]
Authorities plan to eradicate house churches
China’s government is engaged in a three-phase campaign to eradicate Protestant house churches, according to a statement released Friday (April 20) by the China Aid Association (CAA). The government’s strategy was clearly outlined in a document released last September during a training class for “Patriots in the Christian Community” run […]
Drive to release rights lawyer in China pushes forward
Confirmation this week of China’s assertion in December that human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng is alive and serving out a prison sentence is key as efforts continue for his release, a human rights lawyer said. Gao, a Christian whose advocacy for religious minorities led to his conviction in 2006 for “subversion,” […]
Authorities again deny facility to Shouwang Church
Authorities in China again thwarted efforts by Shouwang Church to lease a worship facility at the year’s end, and the Beijing congregation again met outdoors on Sunday (Jan. 1) – resulting in the arrest of 48 members, sources said. “The church tried three times to rent three different venues, but […]
Church in China to end outdoor services; Gao Zhisheng alive
Key issues in Chinese religious rights are taking a pivotal turn at year’s end as the beleaguered Shouwang house church in Beijing will celebrate its last outdoor service on Christmas Day, and “disappeared” human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng has ostensibly resurfaced – in an undisclosed prison. Denied access to a […]