Guizhou house church leader under house arrest for organizing training program

China Aid Association

(Guiyang, Guizhou—May 29, 2014) Authorities in the provincial capital of China’s inland Guizhou detained the a house church leader on May 22 for organizing a training program in the church, where authorities also demolished two crosses after his detention.

The Christian training program was held at Fengsheng Church in Guiyang; Pastor Shi Denggui leads the church.

Police arrived to inspect the event, which had garnered much local attention due to the teacher being from another town. Police then took Shi into custody. One believer, Zhang Hualin, said Shi was placed under house arrest at a hotel.”

“They invited a teacher from outside of the town to give lessons,” Zhang said. “That’s why they attracted a lot of attention. The training program changed to new places several times [to accommodate the crowd expected to attend]. At last, they decided to hold it in Fengsheng Church.

“The local police came to check things and took… Shi. The cross inside his church, as well as the cross outside, was demolished. They won’t let [the Christians] gather together.”

Pastor Zhang Mingxuan, president of the Chinese House Church Alliance, told China Aid that the house church has been gathering at the same location for more than 10 years. He also said that the village’s collective housing units were the gathering site, and he was unsure whether the church held the proper certificate. A church member later clarified that Fengsheng Church does not hold the rights to the property.

China Aid also learned that a lawyer, who happened to be in Guiyang, was asked to help with the case by church members. The lawyer contacted Shi’s wife via a church staff member.


China Aid Contacts

Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985
Website: www.chinaaid.org
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Guizhou house church leader under house arrest for organizing training program

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