Source: www.ChinaAid.org
Date: April 19, 2021
Police during raid on Xiamen Xunsiding Church.
(Photo: ChinaAid resource)
(Xiamen, Fujian Province—April 19, 2021) On April 17, police again raided Xiamen Xunsiding Church at the newly rented venue in Pacific Rim Hotel. As dozens of police officers blocked the entrance to the conference hall, they checked each church member’s temperature, noted their ID numbers, and photographed them without their face mask.
Police photographing each Christian attending Xiamen Xunsiding Church service.
(Photo: ChinaAid resource)
Police officers rudely shouted at Christians attending the service:“What’s your name?” One female Christian complained: “Police were shouting at us as if we were criminals.” Later, police detained more than 100 Christians in one room with no access to a restroom. Minister Yang Xibo video recorded the process with his cell phone.
Police checking every church attendee's ID.
(Photo: ChinaAid resource)
When Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials forced Xiamen Xunsiding Church (formerly Xiagang Chapel) to close in the mid 1950's, Yang Huaide invited church members to meet in his home. Later, CCP authorities imprisoned Mr. Yang’s grandchildren, Yang Xinfei and Yang Yuanzhang for 15 years and five years for sharing "the Gospel." When officials released them from prison, however, Ms. Yang and Mr. Yang continued to lead house church gatherings. They resumed Sunday services at No. 5 Xunsiding Lane in 1977.
On May 19, 2019, the CCP banned the Xiamen Xunsiding Church. Afterward, church members had to frequently change venues. Nevertheless, whether the church gathered in a residential or business building, a hotel, or on the beach, police repeatedly discovered the locations and regularly raided the church.
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://chinaaid.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3D1e219a9a798758356bbbbe62b%26id%3D8ee6e23d26%26e%3D103d71d3de&source=gmail&ust=1619226694137000&
Police detain more than 100 Christians in one room.
(Photo: ChinaAid resource)
During the past two-year crackdown on Christians, as Xiamen municipal government authorities implemented strong measures to ban several house churches, they primarily targeted Xiamen Xunsiding Church. To try to force Christians to compromise their faith, the CCP:
- demolished church buildings,
- raided churches during Sunday services,
- beat up and arrested Christians,
- forced Christians to send their children to public schools, and
- destroyed foreign missionaries’ tombstones.
Most Christians, like members of Xiamen Xunsiding Church, did not compromise. To the contrary, the CCP's persecution plan "backfired" as God used it to trigger a spiritual revival in oppressed Christians. Instead of denying Jesus Christ, they grew stronger in faith.
~ Yubing, ChinaAid Special Correspondent
###
Watch,
stand fast in the faith,
be brave,
be strong.
~ 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NKJV)
China Aid exposes abuses in order to stand in solidarity with the persecuted and promote religious freedom, human rights, and rule of law. If you wish to partner with us in helping those persecuted by the Chinese government, please click the button below to make a charitable donation.
