(China Aid) – On Sunday, June 30, authorities in Guizhou province broke into Zion Reform Evangelical Church during worship. Officials reportedly subjected congregants to inquiry and confiscated some church possessions. When asked to sign official documents, church leader Zhu Jieheng wrote down “God grants the right to worship” to demonstrate the church was not subject to the mindsets and activities of the authorities. According to reports, Zhu received a notice of rectification and reform from the Kaili Municipal Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau. Officials say the organization of religious events at the church violates regulations.
As ChinaAid has reported, authorities across China often operate to shut down churches. Reports say officials in Sichuan might force Baihua Church, a campus of Chengdu’s Early Rain Covenant Church, to close down after an investigation. A Henan Christian named Mr. Huang says officers are often pressured by their bosses to visit churches on Sunday if they do not have the day off. Information from an anonymous pastor details strict religious policies from the government that are even impacting churches associated with the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, China’s state-run, technically legal church network. READ MORE
