China Aid Association
(SICHUAN – July 2, 2009) On June 26, Autumn Rain Church in Chengdu, Sichuan province filed an application for administrative reconsideration to appeal the abolishment of their house church. Well-known Christian human rights attorney Li Heping will represent the case through the Gaobolonghua Law Office in Beijing.
On the afternoon of June 21 when the believers were meeting in a nearby hotel for a congregation conference, more than 10 law enforcement officers entered the site, stopped the gathering, and read a notice abolishing Autumn Rain Church as an “unregistered social organization.”After the notice was read, the church members planned to move to the riverside to complete the conference, but approximately 100 riot police officers, plainclothes officers and law enforcement people were deployed both inside and outside the hotel.
Autumn Rain Church issued an announcement explaining the reasons for their decision to file for administrative reconsideration. They say the abolishment is against their house church is illegal because citizens have the freedom of association and to self-govern their organizations. By filing, they hope to help the Bureau of Civil Affair in Chengdu play a more positive and just role on the issue of house churches.
In their announcement, they also appeal to Christians around the world to pray:
“We appeal to local churches, believers, and all the churches and bodies concerned to pray continuously, not only for the small church we have, but for church establishment and God’s glory in modern China. Pray that all things will work together for good; pray that the house churches in cities will be strengthened, willing to step out and undertake the mission of history.”
Call the following government authorities on behalf of Autumn Rain Church and ask that authorities end their harassment of the Christians, withdraw the abolishment and allow the church to meet freely.
Du Kaizong, Director of Civil Affair Bureau, Chengdu, Sichuan Province Office
Address: 3nd Floor, Blvd 4, 966 North Street of Tianfu Ave.
Office Tel.: +86-28-61881809 or +86-28-61881810
Civil Affairs Bureau of Qing Yang District:
Office Tel.: +86-28-86633643
Chengdu National Bureau of Religious Affairs, Director Zhao Lu
Office Tel: +86-28-61880989; +86-28-86637474; Fax: +86-28-61880988
Chengdu People’s Government: +86-28-86636113
Chengdu, People’s Chief of Staff: +86-28-86646533
Read Autumn Rain Church’s “Announcement on Appealing Against ‘Prohibiting’ Administrative Reconsideration of Autumn Rain Church.”
Read Autumn Rain Church’s “Application for Administrative Reconsideration.”
Read a Radio Free Asia interview with prominent law professor and house church Wang Yi of Autumn Rain Church.
China Aid Contacts
Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.chinaaid.org
