Fifteen Church Leaders Arrested in China
by Staff
August 1, 2007
(christiansunite.com) - A total of fifteen church leaders were arrested in three separate incidents in the first two weeks of July, according to a July 19 report from China Aid Association.On July 10, Pastor Lu Jiangxiang was arrested by members of the Public Security Bureau (PSB) on allegations of involvement in "illegal religious activities" at his house in Qiaotou, Mingguang County. He was given no legal papers for his arrest.
At approximately 4:00 p.m. on July 11, PSB m embers along with the Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement and the police arrested and assaulted church leaders while they were conducting a children's Bible school at the Zhongzhuang House Church in Jianhu City, Jiangsu Province. Ten Christians were arrested, including the church's pastor, Pastor Zeng Zhengliang. Two Christians were hospitalized for their injuries.
At 11:30 a.m. on July 14, four church leaders were arrested by PSB members at the home of Pastor Fu Pengtu in the city of Wuhai, in the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia. No legal papers were provided for the arrests.
The names of those arrested were: Gao Chinxia (Pastor Fu's wife), Xie Yanan, Pastor Liu Yukang and Chen Bingui.
Pray for the release of these Christians. Pray that they will stand firm in their faith while in prison. Ask God to continue to bring forth more Christian church leaders to guide those whose leaders are imprisoned (Luke 21:13-15).
For more information on the persecution facing Christians in China, go to www.persecution.net/country/china.htm.
