CHINA: Pastor and Assisting Church Members Detained

Source: VOMC
Source: ChinaAid

One of the many house churches in China. Photo: ChinaAid

Chinese authorities have reportedly arrested the pastor and seven other members of the Beijing Jiaquan Church – an influential house-church network with congregations in Beijing and various other areas of the country. While specific details are still emerging, concerns continue to grow for those affected.

On September 4th, members of the church were preparing a hotel conference room for the congregation's 20th anniversary celebration when more than 100 police officers surrounded the gathering. The contact information of everyone participating in the preparations was recorded, and seven church members were seized at the venue. Police also contacted Pastor Zhou Zixun, who was not present at the scene, and ordered him to report to the police station. While two of the detained members were later released, an additional two believers have since been arrested.

The eight believers presently remaining in custody are being held on suspicion of fraud – a charge commonly used against Christians from unregistered churches. These arrests appear to be part of the Communist officials' broader efforts to target prominent urban church networks, including Chengdu's Early Rain Covenant Church and the Beijing Zion Church.

Commenting on the recent campaigns, VOMC CEO Floyd Brobbel states: "We remain concerned by the persistent restrictions imposed on Christian communities in China. Freedom of religion includes the ability to assemble and worship freely, without mandatory registration as a precondition for exercising this fundamental right." He further adds, "Please join us in praying that believers in China will be strengthened by the Lord, enabling them to follow Christ faithfully with humility, courage and enduring faith."
For previously published reports, including a video interview with ChinaAid's founder, Dr. Bob Fu, visit our country profile.

• Please prayerfully uphold Pastor Zhou and the other detained church members, asking the Lord to sustain them with His peace, strengthen them through His Spirit, and encourage them with the assurance of His constant presence.

• Pray also that further details regarding this situation will emerge, and that those seeking to help and advocate on behalf of these believers will be granted wisdom and guidance.

• Continue to remember the numerous other Christian leaders throughout China who are presently imprisoned on false charges because of their faith, praying that they too will be encouraged in Christ and steadfast in their witness for Him.

CHINA: Two-Day Raid on An Underground Church

Source: VOMC
Sources: ChinaAid, VOM Australia

Video stills from the raid. Photo: ChinaAid

On September 16th and 17th, Chinese authorities carried out a two-day operation against an underground church in Jinzhai County, Anhui Province. During the process, officials confiscated the believers' cell phones and ordered them to replace their worship hymns with patriotic songs that praise the Chinese Communist system.

On the first day, approximately 30 police officers and local officials raided the church's gathering place. While interrogating and searching those in attendance, authorities restricted the Christians' movements, preventing them from carrying out even basic tasks such as accessing the building's washroom facilities. Two female preachers were then taken to the police station for questioning. One of the women was subsequently confined to her home for four days, and one had sustained a hand injury while being transported by officers.

According to anonymous sources, much of the questioning focussed on two relatives of the preachers. Even though one of the two family members is presently ministering in the United States, police officers repeatedly sought contact information and details regarding the activities of both relatives.

Authorities returned to the church location on September 17th under the leadership of a religious affairs official. This time, they found several young Christians practising music for future worship services. The investigators told the musicians that they were forbidden from singing songs containing the words, "Jesus," "God" or "Lord," ordering them to instead use their songs for the purpose of praising the Chinese Communist Party.

In response, ChinaAid founder Dr. Bob Fu remarked, "When government officials begin deciding whom Christians may worship and what they may sing, so-called 'Chinafication of religion' has already become a political tool for forcing churches to submit to Communist Party ideology."
To access other reports concerning the challenges facing followers of Christ in China, go to our country profile.

• Pray that the two preachers, as well as the congregation members who were interrogated during the recent investigations, will experience God's protection, comfort and peace. The same applies to the two relatives that the officials had specifically inquired about.

• Ask the Lord to also intervene judicially on behalf of the mentioned Christian leaders and congregants, praying that no charges will be brought against them.

• Additionally, please intercede on behalf of pastors, church leaders and others who are involved in the discipleship of new believers and young people, so maturing Christians can be further strengthened and equipped to overcome spiritual opposition with a strong, resilient faith.

• Amid the hostility of Communist authorities, may the light of the Gospel continue to shine brightly throughout China, serving as a 'beacon of hope' to many more searching hearts in need of Christ's unconditional love, unchanging truths and life-saving grace.

SRI LANKA: Convictions Relating to Former Easter Church Bombings

Source: VOMC
Sources: Aljazeera, BBC, The Guardian, Associated Press

People gathered following one of the blasts. Photo: Provided

Hundreds of believers were killed during a devastating series of bombings that took place in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday of 2019. More than 260 people were killed and nearly 600 others injured when suicide bombers targeted three churches, along with three hotels that hosted Easter breakfast gatherings.
More details about the bombing incidents are available in our initial report.

The horrific attacks drew international attention and prompted investigations at multiple levels of Sri Lanka's government and law enforcement personnel. In 2023, a parliamentary committee was appointed to examine the events leading up to the bombings. The committee concluded that police and intelligence officials failed to act on repeated warnings that could have prevented the tragedies from taking place. As a result, on July 31st of this year, a former police chief and a former senior defence official were both convicted of criminal negligence and consequently sentenced to life imprisonment.

More recently, on September 22nd, Sri Lanka's High Court convicted 15 male perpetrators of the attacks on charges relating to murder and terrorism. The men were given prison sentences ranging from 200 to 260 years. Nine other suspects were acquitted of all charges. Not only have militant Islamic groups been linked to the attacks, a former intelligence chief is currently facing trial due to claims that he had collaborated with the instigating Muslim terrorists. Additional allegations have also connected the incidents to former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa and members of his family, even though both the government and the Rajapaksa family deny any involvement.

When asked to comment on the court's decision, Godfrey Yogarajah, who serves as CEO for the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka and chairman for the World Evangelical Alliance, stated: "The verdict is an important step toward justice for the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks and their families. But a conviction cannot, by itself, close the questions that remain. The investigation must continue until the full truth is established – including whether anyone directed, handled, facilitated or enabled the bombers. Only when those responsible are identified, and the mastermind held accountable, can we say that justice has been fully served."

• Pray that the committee's efforts to uncover the full truth behind the attacks will continue, leading to the accountability of all the terrorists responsible for committing these crimes.

• Ask God to transform the assailants' hearts so they would acknowledge the guilt of their wrongdoings, come to a point of sincere repentance, and experience the forgiveness and new life that's been made available through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• In the aftermath of the atrocities, please also pray for God's ongoing ministry of comfort and healing in the lives of the surviving victims and their families, helping them to fully recover from the grief of loss, physical injury, and/or the residual effects of emotional/mental trauma.

• Overall, may the Holy Spirit move powerfully throughout Sri Lanka, providing greatly needed strength and encouragement to our Christian brothers and sisters, while also drawing many others in need of eternal salvation to faith in Christ – the "Light of the world" (John 8:12).