The document Chinese officials sent to Wang Baohong, forbidding his church from holding Christmas events. (Photo: ChinaAid) |
ChinaAid
(Zhengzhou, Henan—Jan. 7, 2018) Religious management officials in China’s central Henan province threatened legal action against a house church on Dec. 24 if they held Christmas festivities, ChinaAid learned recently.
The Huiji District Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee in Zhengzhou sent a notice to Wang Baohong, a member of a local house church, scolding him for establishing a site for religious activities at a “non-religious venue.” Under the guise of protecting “the safety of Christians’ lives,” they forbade the church from holding further religious activities.
The Communist Party defines “non-religious venue” as any place that has not been established by a government-approved religious institution and been registered with the authorities. Registered churches are subjected to government censorship, while unregistered churches, more commonly known as house churches, often experience persecution for not submitting to the government’s oversight.
ChinaAid exposes abuses, such as those suffered by house churches in Zhengzhou, in order to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians and promote religious freedom, human rights, and rule of law.
ChinaAid Media Team
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