(FW) – The religious restrictions imposed by the government of China are some of the harshest on earth. However, they don’t only affect adult believers — many of the most restrictive policies aim to stifle the faith of young followers of Jesus. “One of the rules that have always been in their law is that you cannot proselytize or you cannot convert somebody under the age of 18,” explained Erik Burklin, president of China Partner, according to Mission News Online. Previously, many parents were instructing their “children come to church and many churches started what we would call Sunday school classes,”
Burklin explained. “They would use that time to teach children Bible verses and teach them Christian songs and so forth.” Now, however, the communist authorities have started to tighten the leash on youth ministry activities in a bid to prevent youngsters from becoming followers of Jesus. “Many churches have been notified by Religious Affairs Bureau heads that you can no longer conduct Sunday school classes in your churches,” Burklin explained. “They even put signage up in the entrance of some churches to indicate that.” READ MORE