When I first entered China several years ago, I was surprised to see the amount of religious freedom people had. At least in the city where I lived, underground churches didn’t seem very underground at all. Christians would still publicly post pictures of baptism services on their WeChat accounts or send digital flyers inviting friends to an Easter service providing full contact details of the venue.
However, those days of relative freedom and peace are gone as China has launched an aggressive campaign to restrict and Sinicize Christianity within its borders, meaning all Christian worship, preaching, and other activities must comply with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Those not in compliance are seen as threats against national security and punished. As a result, persecution has significantly increased in recent years, as reflected in a 2019 ranking of the world’s most persecuted countries, in which China jumped 16 places from #43 to #27 in a year. In the 2020 ranking, it moved up again to #23.
Trends in Persecution
News regarding the persecution of Chinese Christians has even made it to Western mainstream media. The New York Times published articles regarding the arrest of Pastor Wang Yi of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, who was sentenced to nine years in prison. Unfortunately, his case is the tip of the iceberg. Countless, unnamed pastors and evangelists across the country have been arrested in these recent years.
Underground churches in both metropolitan and rural areas are under heavy attack as the CCP seeks to shut them down. Authorities in various areas offer citizens financial rewards to report unsanctioned religious gatherings. Not only is the government employing agents to surveil churches, but it is also using millions of community watchdogs across the country to watch all its citizens, with one of their responsibilities being to report on unregistered religious activities.
In addition, many churches rely on renting an apartment or office to gather. However, property owners are under pressure from authorities to stop renting to them, so many congregations are now without a place. Under this heavy surveillance, many churches have been forced to break up into small groups for worship.
Government-approved churches are still vulnerable and have faced increased scrutiny. These congregations are required to sing songs praising the CCP as part of their worship time. Furthermore, preaching permits have been revoked if sermons did not promote the party’s values or if these churches had foreign connections. Many churches have even been shut down.
Online sales of the Bible are currently prohibited, and any religious materials not approved by the state can be confiscated. One can’t even mail religious materials, as courier services will be heavily fined if they are found to do so. In the meanwhile, the CCP is in the process of producing an annotated Bible that highlights theological support for their Sinicization program.
Finally, one of the main goals of Sinicizing Christianity is to rid the church of foreign infiltration. The CCP has been carrying this out by uprooting and expelling missionary networks.
Standing With Our Brothers and Sisters in China Through Prayer
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Please pray for the Christian leaders under duress.
Ask that God will continue to encourage them and their families. Ask that He will use them to be a powerful witness to authorities and those around them.
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Pray that the Gospel will continue to spread in China.
Not only are there many individuals who have not heard the Gospel, but there are also entire unengaged, unreached, ethnic minority groups within China. Please pray that God will bring His Good News to more people and that the Word of the Lord will grow in power and prevail (Acts 19:20). Please also pray that brothers and sisters will be filled with the Holy Spirit and have the courage to testify. As COVID-19 is still fresh in many people’s minds, pray that people will trust Jesus and know that salvation is found in Him alone.
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Please pray for the Chinese church.
Due to the crackdown against underground churches, many are only able to meet in small groups. Pray that God will raise and equip more lay leaders to teach from the Word and care for His flock. Pray that God will continue to purify the church and use them to be salt and light in the community. (Of special note, COVID-19 made it impossible to meet during the lockdown, and because of digital surveillance, congregations could not easily meet online. Pray that brothers and sisters can gather again as COVID-19 restrictions lighten.)
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Pray that the leaders of China will not be resistant to the Gospel and will recognize God as the ultimate sovereign authority.
Anonymous has been involved with ministry for China during the last eight years