China: House church in Henans seized by communist government officials

(International Christian Concern) –On March 6, a house church in China’s Henan province was sealed off by local authorities for violating the country’s religious regulations.

In the video uploaded by Rock Church in Henan’s capital Zhengzhou, the sanctuary of the house church can be seen completely emptied out, with everything that has religious symbols removed. The authorities also cut power to the church and posted a seal on its door.

The pastor of Rock Church, Dou Shaowen, received a notice from the 27^th District Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau in Zhengzhou claiming that the church had conducted illegal religious activities and violated Article 40 and 41 of religious affairs regulations. It also disbanded the church.

This was not the first time Rock Church was targeted by the authorities. In June of 2009, the church was also raided for the same reason. Pastor Dou, his wife Feng Lu, and other four Christians were arrested and detained for 15 days. Dou and Feng also had to go through ‘re-education through labor’ for a year, despite a lack of due process.

In the last year, Henan province became the hardest hit area in Beijing’s latest crackdown against Christianity. Reportedly, more than 4,500 churches have their crosses forcibly removed, many brutally shut down. Christians now have to meet at homes with an irregular schedule in order to avoid inspection.

Check out the ICC post HERE

photo/ Etereuti