Displaced House Church Christians Resist Chinese Authorities, Despite Ongoing Harassment
by Allie Martin
November 14, 2006
(AgapePress) - - Government officials in China continue their crackdown on unregistered Christian "house churches." Late last month the gathering place for the Nongda house church was demolished by local Communist Chinese authorities. Witnesses say 500 policemen and several hundred peasant workers descended on the site, driving people out and destroying the facility, which had served area Christians for more than a decade. And, according to China Aid Association (CAA) director Bob Fu, the Communist authorities are still persecuting members of the congregation.
"Right now, the government has been harassing and threatening the active members of that church and sort of threatening them not to gather at that church site," Fu says. "We do need to pray that those brothers and sisters will not stop worshipping the Lord and stop gathering, even though their church building was there."
In fact, the China Aid Association director says the Chinese government should arrange a new meeting place for the congregants, now that their church building and the furniture in it has been demolished. Within the space of an hour, he notes, the main part of Nongda house church's sanctuary was bulldozed under the pretext of "urban appearance rearrangement."
CAA is appealing to the local government to give an account to Nongda house church concerning the demolition and to arrange for a new place of worship for the congregation. Meanwhile, Christian house church members are facing threats, harassment, and frequent physical attacks, but they have continued to hold to their principle of not affiliating with the government-registered Three-Self church movement.
Despite persecution and threats, Fu notes, "the church of Christ is still there." He says the brothers and sisters of Nongda house church cherish orthodox Christian beliefs and biblical truth, and they ask earnestly that the body of Christ pray for their church in tribulation.
Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
