ICC Note:
A Chinese pastor has been detained after resisting state control of his church. He and his family are currently under house arrest and are not allowed to leave their residence. Their church has been evicted from its building and forced to split into smaller house churches. China has been carrying out a massive crackdown on house churches and attempting to coerce all “illegal” churches to join the state run church called the Three Self Patriotic Movement.
3/5/2017 China (UCA News) – A Chinese pastor has been detained and the church building illegally tampered with after the congregation refused to come under state control.
Jin Tianming, who leads Shouwang Church, Beijing, resisted pressure to join the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), the state-approved Protestant body, in 2009, the Christian Today website reported.
Once churches join the TSPM they must accept government supervision and approval.
Jin is under house arrest and church members harassed, according to persecution-watchdog China Aid. Government agents monitor Jin’s house at all times and is wife is not allowed out on Sundays. Visitors are heavily restricted and only allowed to see him at 4pm each day.
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