More Cross Demolitions and Tightening Control Over House Churches in China
浙江多地家庭教会被强令停止聚会 当局以经济手段控制教会负责人 (Government Bans More House Church Gatherings and Controls Church Leaders in Zhejiang Province)
ICC Note:
We translated the Chinese article to English and it discusses Chinese government’s tightening control over the house churches in Zhejiang province. Church leaders and believers are threatened of facing unemployment or business shut-down if they do not stop gathering. We also see the control expanding to other provinces close to Zhejiang, such as Aihui province, according to ChinaAid. In the meantime, more crosses have been removed and most of them were not against any construction rules.
05/19/2014 China (ChinaAid)- 浙江温州、乐清等地规模较大的家庭教会,本周日(5月17日)被当局强令停止聚会,当地十多徐座教堂及十字架上周继续被强拆。对于有人指出,中国基督徒最集中的温州各个教会牧师或教会负责人,为何没有公开护教,有信徒说,当局通过私下威胁的方式,警告信徒“谁护教找谁算账”,包括使用经济手段报复。
浙江温州三江教堂被强拆后,当局又将目标指向行事低调的当地家庭教会,首当其冲的是信徒人数较多的聚会点。乐清一家庭教会信徒周六告诉记者,当地一个较大型聚会场所,日前被当局责令本周日起,禁止聚会:“我们乐清市,距我家不到一公里,半公里路,那个教会在一个菜市场楼上,被强制通知执行,这个礼拜日全面停止,如果不停止聚会,菜市场老板的六、七百平方米房子全部没收。明天所有的聚会都停掉”。
一位担心安全而匿名的信徒对记者说,当局这一指令,来得突然:“很多地方(家庭教会)都被叫停,反正大家一直聚会都曾被叫停,这两天忽然又被叫停,有一点紧张的感觉”。
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