China Aid Association
(TIANJIN – May 29, 2009) On May 16, 2009, the Office for Religious Affairs in Jinghai county, Tianjin issued a notice abolishing Immanuel Church and banning Pastor Han Changxu, an ethnic Korean, from serving in the church.
Pastor Han Changxu , a native of Heilongjiang province, was ordained as a pastor by the Presbyterian Church in 2008. He has been serving in Immanuel Church in Jinghai county, Tianjin since 2004. During the 2008 Olympics, authorities in Tianjin placed Pastor Han on surveillance when they discovered he had contacts with missionaries from South Korea.
Authorities in Jinghai County of Tianjin have tried to prevent Pastor Han Changxu from having contact with churches in South Korea. In March of this year a Christian brother from South Korea attended a Sunday service at Immanuel Church, was detained by the PSB officers and subsequently expelled from China. Afterwards, authorities began to persecute the church and the pastors from both China and South Korea.
ChinaAid strongly denounces the relevant authorities in Jinghai County of Tianjin for their illegal action of persecuting freedom of belief. ChinaAid urges authorities in Jinghai County of Tianjin to restore Immanuel Church and restore freedom to Pastor Han Changxu to serve the church and to the believers to worship God.
Contact the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C. to on behalf of Pastor Han Changxu and Immanuel Church:
Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong
3505 International Place, NW, Washington, D.C. 20008
Tel: (202) 495-2000
Fax: (202) 588-9760
The Office of Religious Affairs notice abolishing Immanuel Church and banning Pastor Han Changxu from serving in the church:
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