02/02/2021 China (International Christian Concern) – Several house churches in Yanjiao town, in central Hebei province, bordering Tongzhou District, Beijing, were recently raided by the police. A church even had its door broken into and church supplies confiscated.
According to what some house church members in Beijing told China Aid, from January 25 to January 29, several house churches in Yanjiao town were raided by the local authorities. The police accused the Christians of holding religious activities in “unauthorized venues,” violating religious regulations and other laws.
On January 27, the house church led by Pastor Caleb Yang was broken into by people from the community, the urban management force, and the police. While there was no one at the church at the time, the task force removed church items without showing proper document.
In the afternoon of January 29, the police from Yanjiao police station took action again to inspect more house church locations. A local Christian told China Aid, “In the afternoon, about seven or eight state security officers came to inspect the church again. Regardless of whether or not there was anyone present, they came in and left right after they took our stuff. They were very unreasonable.”
Another Christian with the surname Gao also reported that during the same period, several house churches in Beijing were also raided by the police. Lately, both Yanjiao town and Beijing have seen intervention by the local authorities to ban Christians from gathering in the name of epidemic prevention.
For interviews please contact Alison Garcia at press@persecution.org.
