Face-recognition technology in China apparently isn’t enough. Authorities in Henan Province recently promised cash rewards of 500 yuan (approximately 70 USD) to citizens who report “illegal religious activities.” Their target? Underground churches.
Floyd Brobbel with Voice of the Martyrs Canada says the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has used this strategy elsewhere in China, apparently with success in locating house churches.“House church movements don’t have permits. They’re not registered. So they [the government] would call that ‘illegal’ and then something that they need to clamp down on,” says Brobbel. “But really, it is an attempt to control the Church, to contain the Church and its growth.”
This is no small task for the government because it’s no small number of Christians. There are estimated to be tens of millions of Christians outside of state-controlled, Three-Self Patriotic churches. For the CCP, in its push for sinicization and control of religion, that’s deeply concerning.
This fall, one underground church known as Beijing Zion Church has been hit hard. On November 18, eighteen pastors and staff were formally arrested after being detained in a coordinated crackdown back in October.
Please pray
Even with the difficulties, Brobbel says there are things to celebrate in China. It is a nation “where we recognize that after so many years of oppression and persecution, the church has just exploded,” he says.
Yet the pressure on Christians in China isn’t going to go away anytime soon. Please let this report lead you to sober prayers for believers.
“[Pray] that certainly the house church leaders would continue to be bold but be wise in how they meet. [Pray] that the Lord would use this clampdown and this continued hostility against the church for another massive explosion of growth,” says Brobbel.
“We pray that these house church leaders and even Christians in the Three-Self Patriotic churches would remain faithful and continue to present the gospel.”
