ICC Note:

Police raided a church in China and detained 30 church members, including an American family with two children. The group of 20 officers broke into the service about 30 minutes after it began and confiscated church members’ phones, bank cards, and IDs. A pastor who attempted to film the raid was beaten by police officers. Most of the church members were detained overnight and released the next morning. The pastor, however, has not been released. His wife has not been allowed to visit him. This church has had a history of persecution from authorities. Last year the church had seven government raids within two months. During one raid police officers broke their offering box and confiscated more than 400 dollars from it. In the most recent raid the church was accused of “accommodating foreigners” and “illegally gathering.”

5/8/2017 China (China Aid) – Police officers raided a house church meeting in China’s southern Guangdong province on Wednesday evening, detaining 30 of the members in attendance including the pastor and an American couple with two children.

More than 20 officers broke into Zhongfu Wanmin Church approximately a half hour into their evening service on May 3. The church members attempted to take pictures of the raid, but officers confiscated all cell phones, ID cards, and bank cards.

“How could the police take away their bank cards?” a local pastor asked while recounting the events to a ChinaAid reporter. “This is a very recent [change in behavior for officers.]”

During the raid, the pastor, Li Peng, was beaten by officers for trying to take pictures. Li was detained with the 30 other members taken away from the church and interrogated overnight, but while most of the detainees were released the following morning, Li was not.

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