After seeing the church’s sign destroyed yesterday, Pastor Jin sorrowfully said, “Unlawful dark forces vandalized Zion Church’s sign, but it will not destroy the church that everlasting God has built!”

In response to the crackdown against Zion Church and other Christian communities, hundreds of house church pastors and Christian leaders from around the country signed a joint statement on September 1, publicly expressing their faith and their stance against the government’s denial of religious freedom. The crackdown has included demolishing crosses on church buildings, violently removing religious symbols from Christians’ homes, forcing and threatening churches to join religious organizations sanctioned by the government, forcing churches to hang the national flag or sing secular songs praising the government, banning children from entering churches or receiving religious education, and depriving believers of the right to gather freely.

As of September 7, 305 Christians have signed on to this statement, prepared to bear the potential consequences—even the loss of their freedom and their lives.

Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “The banning of Zion Church, along with the intensified crackdown against Christians in Henan and other provinces in China, demonstrates the government’s absolute disregard for religious freedom. The future awaiting China’s house church Christians should be everyone’s concern. We urge the international community to speak up for persecuted Chinese Christians and be their voice as Beijing tries to mute them and alter their faith to fit into communist ideology.”

For interviews with Gina Goh, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org