(China – June 6, 2025) Amid advanced technological development, internet regulation of religious sites in China is tightening, presenting new challenges for believers. The increased control over digital religious spaces appears to be emerging as a new trend.

 

Real-Name Registration for Sermon Access

According to a May report from the official website of the China Christianity Daily, Church A in East China now requires real-name registration to gain access to sermon audio recordings.

The report stated that in May this year, Church A (name withheld) in East China published a notice via its WeChat public account. In accordance with government policy, believers must register with their real name on the church’s official website in order to access sermon audio shared via WeChat posts.

 

Registration Process and Its Challenges

The announcement included a detailed registration tutorial, using 13 mobile screenshots to explain each step in accessing sermons. Covering how to reach the site via published articles, register using a mobile number and password (a password is required), retrieve verification codes and forgotten passwords, and locate audio content after successful registration.

“This will definitely dampen people’s enthusiasm, especially for our brothers and sisters on the older side,” said Pastor R of the church, commenting on the requirement of this policy.

 

Impact on the Elderly in Aging Congregations

The pastor expressed concern for elderly Christians who may encounter all sorts of issues as they are unfamiliar with modern technology. “What young people intuitively understand without guidance becomes overly complicated when presented through many instructional images. It doesn’t make things clearer, but it makes them feel cumbersome. Many Christians say it gives them a real headache,’” he said.

Church A’s congregation consists mainly of middle-aged and elderly Christians. As China enters an aging society, this trend is especially evident in churches that have historically served marginalized groups. From north to south (Liaoning, Xi’an, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Nanning, Fuzhou), in traditional urban churches, Christians over 70 years old often make up 30% of the congregation. Those in their 50s and 60s are considered relatively young.

 

The Digital Gap and Demand for Devotional Content

The report continued, noting that in today’s digital age, where the internet is the main channel of information, elderly Christians can only glimpse the surface of this transformation. Aside from passively receiving content, they are primarily unable to use the internet to independently explore helpful materials. Over the past decade, as religious venue management has become more regulated, the gap between these Christians and their churches has widened. Due to aging and declining health, their ability to participate in person has diminished. Their desire for accessible digital devotionals far exceeds that of other age groups.

 

Legal Foundation: Article 20 of Online Religious Regulation

Pastor R stated that the changes stem from Article 20 of the Measures for the Administration of Internet Religious Information Services, which states, “Platforms providing online religious information dissemination must sign agreements with registered users and verify their real identities.”

The regulation, issued on December 3, 2021, aims to govern online religious content in accordance with principles such as “upholding legality, preventing illegality, curbing extremism, resisting infiltration, and combating crime.” All applications require real-name registration. Like the requirement to disclose user IP addresses, this rule is widely accepted and considered necessary for curbing online violence, bullying, infiltration, and related risks. A user’s initial real-name registration on WeChat forms the basis for accessing sermon content through links.

 

Why Churches Require New Registration Systems

So why must Christians register again on the church’s official website? The key lies in the system’s closed nature.

According to Pastor R’s explanation, sermon audio used to be hosted on external platforms and linked through public accounts. Now, all content is hosted directly on the church’s own website. User activity is confined to the church’s system to prevent content from spreading to third-party, non-religious platforms. Since the church’s website is a newly launched platform, Christians must register to use it.

“It’s an old rule with new enforcement,” Pastor R said. The regulation has always existed, but it is now being implemented more comprehensively. Because the church obtained its license to publish religious content online two years ago, its website was able to launch quickly. “It’s like having a business license long ago but never opening the store and now the store is open.”

 

From Shared Platforms to Isolated Systems

Previously, Christians could read church articles through the Church’s WeChat public account and access resources via a citywide app developed by the official Christian Council and Three-Self Patriotic Movement (CC&TSPM). This app included sermons from church A and content from other churches. Since the new regulations took effect on March 1, 2022, the city, like several others, has partnered with Christian tech professionals to develop compliant apps. According to developers, live streams on Sundays can attract tens of thousands of viewers.

Currently, the app requires users to register with their full names and ID numbers. Additionally, it has removed content like event announcements, church news, and devotional scriptures, and only retained livestream links for Sunday services.

A product manager at an app development company in City A speculated that the reduced content might result from strict enforcement of religious content publishing permissions. Although the local CC&TSPM is a lawful, religious organization, it lacks the same publishing rights as temples. Moreover, online religious platforms must be closed systems, meaning access from outside the platform should not be allowed. Using passwords for live streams enforces this requirement; other types of content are more complex to restrict.

In other places of the province, access to sermon live streams also requires passwords.

Developers from the CC&TSPM of City A’s app declined to comment on the above speculation.

 

Independent Church Apps and Future Challenges

The report also mentioned that Pastor S from Church X in a neighboring county had earlier followed City A’s example by developing an independent church app, significantly improving pastoral care and church management. Members of the church could easily access church activities and devotional resources, with each release drawing thousands of subscribers.

Pastor S deeply expressed concern that if only the sermon livestream link is preserved, it would be a major loss, because “Christians need daily devotionals.”

He believes that while regulated management is understandable and real-name registration aligns with national law, helping churches manage and protect content, the key lies in how it is implemented. How can churches comply with regulations while meeting the diverse needs and capacities of their congregants? For elderly members of the church, technical barriers cannot be overcome by a simple notice. Even slightly raised thresholds may “filter out” those less adaptable, potentially affecting their spiritual growth and pastoral care.

 

Returning to Small Groups and the Heart of Church Life

What if independently developed apps become unusable? Then the church will return to the roots. Pastor S believes that a well-developed small group system can overcome the barriers

brought by technology. “There’s always a way,” he said. This statement carries a trace of helplessness, but also reveals faith in Christ. As Scripture says, the Lord can make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

 

Faith Under Pressure in a Regulated Digital Age

All the signs in this report point to a strengthening trend in China: the use of technology to increase control over religious affairs. This undoubtedly brings new oppression and challenges to Christians’ freedom of faith and practice. How to balance regulation with the real needs of Christians will be a crucial issue for churches going forward.

 

This report is based on an article by China Christian Daily.

 

 

(Reported by Special Correspondent Gao Zhensai of ChinaAid)