Secret CPC Directive Calls for the Dismantling of Six House Churches in Beijing

China Aid Association

(BEIJING—August 25, 2009) On August 25, 2009, ChinaAid learned the Chinese government recently issued a secret directive calling the government agencies to dismantle at least six major house churches before the end of August. ChinaAid believes these actions have been taken in preparation for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the CPC’s rule in China.
Reliable sources told ChinaAid that the Beijing Huajie Plaza received an order from the PSB to terminate its rental contract with the Beijing Shouwang house church. One of the largest house churches in the area, Beijing Shouwang Church has been renting two floors for their worship and Sunday school services in Huajie Plaza for a few years. The church has over 1,000 church members, and most of them are intellectuals from universities. This is the most recent action against Beijing Shouwang Church since government officials forcibly shut down their church website on April 13, 2009, and raided the church on May 11, 2008.
Click here to visit the reinstated Shouwang Church Website, http://shwchurch.com.
Other house churches in Beijing recently received similar pressure to stop church gatherings. This is believed to be the first step taken by the Chinese government to crack down on the house churches in Beijing.
In mid-August, three government officials, including members of the PSB and RAB, disrupted a baptism service held at a river in the Beijing suburbs by one house church from Haidian district. Outside Beijing, a TSPM church in Zhejiang was also raided, and more than 2 tons of Sunday school materials were confiscated. A house church training school in Shandong province was also raided and banned by the authorities.
President Bob Fu believes,“the upcoming 60th anniversary of the CPC is not cause for trampling on rights of peaceful citizens gathering in accordance with their right to religious freedom. ChinaAid urges the Chinese government to revoke the secret directive, which is contrary to international covenants signed by the CPC, to acknowledge the positive societal influence of these house churches, and to allow these churches to meet freely throughout the anniversary period.”
ChinaAid urges Christians around the world to speak out on behalf of these believers, to urge that their freedoms not be thwarted.
Contact the Chinese Embassy with your concerns;
Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong
3505 International Place, NW, Washington, D.C. 20008
Tel: (202) 495-2000
Fax: (202) 588-9760
NOTE: If you are a citizen of another country, please click here to find the contact information of the Chinese embassy in your own nation http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjb/zwjg/2490/.