China

By BosNewsLife Asia Service BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- In a unprecedented move, a Chinese court has agreed to hear a case filed by a pastor against government officials who prohibited worship services in his house church, observers familiar with the trial said Wednesday, December 31.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- Several Christian volunteers and survivors of China's worst earthquake in a generation remained missing Sunday, December 28, after Christmas Eve police raids on homes under construction in the devastated Sichuan province amid anger among authorities over the involvement of churches in relief efforts, an advocacy group said.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- Christians in several parts of China were behind bars on Christmas Day after a police crackdown on worship services and Bible study, a Christian advocacy group said Thursday, December 25.

BosNewsLife Asia Service BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- Chinese police and some 1,000 government supporters destroyed a large church and beat believers in China's Jiangsu province, despite court orders to protect the building, Chinese Christians said Monday, December 22.

BosNewsLife Asia Service BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- Over a dozen Christians will spend Christmas behind bars in China after police raided a Christian leaders gathering in Henan privince, while in the capital Beijing two officials of the banned Chinese House Church Alliance were detained, an advocacy group and Chinese Christians confirmed Thursday, December 18.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife) Four Christians remained missing Friday, December 12, more than a month after they were detained in China's Hubei province amid a police crackdown on believers, including missionaries, in the region, a house church network said.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- Chinese authorities have sentenced Christian Mao Minzi to a forced labor camp for his involvement in organizing a worship service with other believers in a house church, an advocacy group confirmed late Thursday, December 11.

BosNewsLife Asia Service BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- There were concerns Wednesday, December 10, that Chinese authorities would launch a nationwide crackdown on the growing 'house churches, after the Ministry of Civil Affairs ordered the "abolishment" of a major umbrella group.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- Chinese authorities released two key leaders of the country's underground house church movement from a forced labor camp and prison before their detention terms expired, but elsewhere security forces launched a massive crackdown on worship services and Christian students, an American advocacy group said Thursday, December 4.

BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- A key leader of China's rapidly growing underground house church movement who disappeared last month, was free Saturday, November 8, after Chinese authorities released him and other family members, Chinese Christians confirmed. Pastor 'Bike' Zhang Mingxuan, his wife and her sister were released October 27 from detention in the city of Nanyang in China's Henan province, said China Aid Association (CAA), a Christian rights group. "It is believed that the three were being held to prevent them from attending the third anniversary of the Chinese House Church Alliance which was held in Beijing on October 20," CAA added. Pastor Bike, who leads the Alliance and also works as an evangelist, was reportedly one of some 300 delegates invited to attend the celebration. "Because of police harassment," only about 100 delegates reached the Chinese capital, Chinese sources said. Pastor Bike was first detained on October 16, after his sons, Zhang Jian and Zhang Chuang, were beaten by police and his wife was evicted from their apartment, US and other officials explained. WOMEN DETAINEDThe two woman were brought to Nanyang city, while Pastor was held in the PSB office of Shilin city of Yunnan province, allegedly with some 15 PSB officers watching and questioning him.Although the pastor and his family, including his sons, are now free to move in Nanyang city, theystill suffer of harsh police treatment, CAA claimed. Especially his two sons "are still recovering from their injuries," the group said. Yet Pastor Bike's younger son, Zhang Chuang, has been ordered by his landlord to leave his Beijing apartment, Christians said. "The landlord has been under pressure from PSB officers to formally evict Zhang Chuang to force him permanently out of Beijing," CAA noted. Zhang Jian, Pastor Bike's oldest son, was evicted from his apartment immediately following the October 16 police attack. CAA linked the crackdown to a government backed directive which requires Beijing citizens to "report those engaging in activities that endanger state security by utilizing religions." China's Communist government has denied human rights abuses, saying Christians are free to worship within the state-run churches. END