Nationwide Crackdown on House Churches, Hundreds Detained

(BosNewsLife) – A major human rights group said Wednesday, June 29, it has received “credible reports” from China “that a nationwide campaign against unregistered house churches is underway” and that “hundreds” of Christians have been detained. The China Aid Association (CAA) said “numerous house churches” were raided in recent weeks, “hundreds were arrested and many are still in prison.” The term ‘house churches’ refers to millions of Christians who rights groups say are forced to hold underground meetings because they refuse to worship in the Communist government-led churches. In one of the latest incidents on Friday, June 24, Chen Dongming was among 100 pastors allegedly detained when he was leading a church leadership training meeting at his home in Hezhai Village in Henan Province . “More than 50 Chinese police and public security officials raided and searched his house without a search warrant,” CAA claimed. “About 100 pastors from several major cities including from Kaifeng , Xinxiang and Jiaozuo City were taken away and detained at the Qi County Detention Center,” CAA officials said. “Most of the pastors were released…the same day after intensive interrogations [but] nine of them, including Pastor Chen Dongming, Pastor Wei and Pastor Jin whose first names are not available, are still jailed.”