ICC Note:

Fifteen Christians were detained for attending a Bible study in Sichuan province. They were accused of “gathering a crowd to disturb public order” and remained in detention for 15 days. Church property, including air conditioning, projectors, and seating were confiscated as well. Other houses churches in the region have been subjected to detention and church property confiscation for a number of years. In one case, officers sprayed a congregation of about 200 people with tear gas, which resulted in the hospitalization of some of them. China has been implementing sweeping changes to try to coerce “unregistered” church to join the state-run Three Self Patriotic Movement.

4/3/2017 China (China Aid) – More than 20 police officers from China’s southwestern Sichuan Province recently detained 15 Christians for attending a Bible study.

Authorities broke into a church in mid-March and took into custody 15 Christians who had gathered for a Bible study. Officers accused them of illegally gathering and “gathering a crowd to disturb public order,” and detained them for 15 days. Additionally, they confiscated church seating, projectors, and air conditioning equipment.

Li Ming, a pastor of another local house church, Langzhong Church, reported that the authorities had also repeatedly targeted his congregation. For the past several Christmases, authorities seized Christians who worshipped at the church because they refused to meet at the official Three-Self Church. Last year, a woman surnamed Liang was detained for 15 days, and all of the church’s property was taken away.

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ICC Note:

Fifteen Christians were detained for attending a Bible study in Sichuan province. They were accused of “gathering a crowd to disturb public order” and remained in detention for 15 days. Church property, including air conditioning, projectors, and seating were confiscated as well. Other houses churches in the region have been subjected to detention and church property confiscation for a number of years. In one case, officers sprayed a congregation of about 200 people with tear gas, which resulted in the hospitalization of some of them. China has been implementing sweeping changes to try to coerce “unregistered” church to join the state-run Three Self Patriotic Movement.

4/3/2017 China (China Aid) – More than 20 police officers from China’s southwestern Sichuan Province recently detained 15 Christians for attending a Bible study.

Authorities broke into a church in mid-March and took into custody 15 Christians who had gathered for a Bible study. Officers accused them of illegally gathering and “gathering a crowd to disturb public order,” and detained them for 15 days. Additionally, they confiscated church seating, projectors, and air conditioning equipment.

Li Ming, a pastor of another local house church, Langzhong Church, reported that the authorities had also repeatedly targeted his congregation. For the past several Christmases, authorities seized Christians who worshipped at the church because they refused to meet at the official Three-Self Church. Last year, a woman surnamed Liang was detained for 15 days, and all of the church’s property was taken away.

…

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