1/30/2020  China  (VOM) China has tightened security measures, which is making ministry to North Koreans in China increasingly difficult. New regulations in China are putting pressure on both Chinese and North Korean churches inside China. A Chinese Korean pastor who worked with North Koreans was killed several years ago, and another Chinese citizen who discipled North Koreans was kidnapped and is still being held in North Korea. A number of other Christians serving North Koreans in China are still working carefully to share God’s love with defectors before they attempt to make their way to South Korea via Thailand. Please pray… Pray that God will protect the people helping North Koreans in China. Pray that many North Koreans will hear about Jesus and trust in Him. Pray that the Lord will protect the defectors who attempt to make their way to Thailand. Pray for the tens of thousands of North Koreans who are in North Korean prison camps, suffering torture and death for their faith. Pray that all of these camps will be closed.

1/18/2019  China (ICC) Chinese Christians in poor health who depend on the government’s welfare benefits are now being forced to choose between their belief or social benefits. Several elderly Christians in Henan province were approached by local officials, asking them to remove religious items in their homes and hang up the portraits of President Xi Jinping or Chairman Mao Zedong in order for them to continue to receive welfare benefits. One 60-year-old ill woman who relies on the minimum living subsidy provided by the government to survive refused, so officials destroyed all of the Christian symbols in her home. Some have been told that if they do not stop attending church meetings, they will lose their subsidy. When one Christian told officials that the Chinese constitution guarantees freedom of belief, he was told that only fools believe in this provision.   Please pray … Pray that the Lord will provide for the material needs of His children in China, either through the government subsidy or some other means. Pray that Christians will not lose heart but will be strengthened by the Lord. Pray that the Lord will convict the government officials of their sin and draw them to Christ.

12/10/2018  China  (ICC) International Christian Concern has learned that more than 100 members and leaders of a Protestant church in China’s Sichuan province have been arrested. The arrests took place on December 9 after local authorities raided the homes of many church members. Beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, the police raided and surrounded the church, and around 9:00 p.m. the church members’ WeChat accounts and cellphone group discussions were blocked. At the same time, the police raided dozens of homes, arresting numerous church members and leaders, including Pastor Wang Yi and his wife. Some were forced to sign a document stating that they will no longer attend the house church. Some were grabbed off the street, and others were located by police via their smartphone’s location and were arrested. Photos have surfaced showing that several members who were released were tortured during their detention. In recent months, persecution of Christians in China has increased dramatically throughout the country. Please pray… Pray that the Lord will strengthen the Chinese believers who were arrested, and that those who are still being held will feel the Lord’s presence, peace, and comfort. Pray that the Lord will give wisdom to the church leaders throughout China who are facing persecution, […]

9/27/2018  China  (VOM) Government authorities shut down Beijing’s largest house church on Sept. 9 as the result of a conflict that began in April, when authorities ordered the Zion Church to install security cameras facing the congregation. The church refused, and authorities subsequently closed the church. In Henan province, thousands of churches have been forced to close and several key leaders have been jailed for one to two weeks. Government officials also removed crosses from churches and replaced them with the communist flag. The increase in persecution is attributed to new religion rules that went into effect in February. Many Christians remain resolute, however. When officials burst into a house church in Guangdong province, Pastor Huang Xiaoning asked them to show respect and wait until the end of his sermon. The 11 members of law enforcement listened to his sermon for 30 minutes. Please pray… Pray for the grace, patience and steadfast faith of house church Christians in China. Pray that they will not succumb to fear, but will be bold for Jesus. Pray that many churches will be allowed to remain open, and that secret house churches will not be discovered by the authorities.

8/16/2018  China  (VOM) Shi Xinping, leader of a house church in Zongdian, Henan Province, was fined 50,000 yuan, or about $7,500, by the regional religious affairs committee for organizing illegal activities without reporting them to the department of religious affairs. His church, the Hanzhuang Village house church, received three government notices in one week. The first warned of possible penalties, the second warned of a ban on the church, and the third threatened more penalties. Members of the 200-member church, which has been in existence for more than 10 years, have refused to join the state-sanctioned Three-Self Church. A church member said the large fine will be a hardship for the church. Please pray… Pray that Pastor Shi and his church will deal wisely with authorities. Pray that the Lord will provide money for the fine if the authorities do not change their minds. Pray that the Lord will strengthen the Christians in China as the government becomes more and more antagonistic toward Christians.

5/18/2018  China  (VOM) A court recently sentenced North Carolina pastor John Cao, 58, to seven years in prison and fined him $3,000 for “organizing illegal border crossings.” The pastor, who has been detained since his arrest in March 2017, allegedly crossed the China-Myanmar border to minister to 2,000 impoverished minority children in Myanmar’s norther Wa state. He also helped build 16 schools there after building more than a dozen schools in China. Experts believe his arrest and sentencing are related to the ruling Communist Party’s attempts to control the house church movement. Please pray… Pray for pastor Cao’s wife, who is an American citizen, and their two sons. Pray that he remains firm in faith as he faces an uncertain future behind bars, and that he will continue to be a light amid spiritual darkness. Pray that the work he has been doing to help the children of Myanmar and China will continue in his absence. Pray that this unjust verdict will be overturned, and that it will become clear that the work he has been doing is for the benefit of the Chinese people. Pray that the US government will get involved in his case.

5/3/2018  China  (VOM) A Christian in Henan province said that under new government restrictions, area churches are required to sing the Chinese national anthem at the beginning of each service and a nationalistic song at the end of every service. Local authorities also issued an order forbidding anyone under 18 from entering a church. The Christian said officials recently walked around the neighborhood and removed ceramic tiles with inscriptions like “Emmanuel” or “God so loved the world.” They even walked into this Christian’s mother’s bedroom and tore down a painting. Government authorities attend every Sunday service to ensure that no crosses larger than 3 feet are displayed. And if they see children in attendance, they will close down the church. “At this challenging period,” the Christian said, “many believers are afraid to come to church.” Please pray… Pray for churches in Henan, and pray for the unity and wisdom of believers when dealing with government officials. Pray that Christians in China who are experiencing this opposition to their faith will not compromise but remain faithful to the Lord. Pray that Christian parents will teach their children about Jesus at home and that these children will come to know and love Jesus.

2/8/18  China  (VOM) A court in China’s southern Yunnan province, sentenced Ju Dianhong and Liang Qin to 13 years and 10 years in prison, respectively. The two believers, along with others who received shorter sentences, were convicted of participating in cult activity. These brothers and sisters are just the latest to be falsely linked to Three Grades of Servants, an organization that is viewed as a dangerous cult. In a recent government crackdown, about 200 Christians have been falsely accused of following the cult.  Please pray… Pray that Ju, Liang and the other believers will rest in the peace of Christ as they begin serving their sentences. Pray that their families will be cared for and will remember that their hope is in Jesus. Pray that the Gospel will continue changing lives, even as the government seeks to intimidate believers.

1/18/18  China  (China Christian Daily) China’s largest evangelical churches, was demolished by Chinese authorities last week as a part of a new government crackdown on unregistered churches. Authorities used heavy machinery and dynamite to demolish the church in what many observers consider an excuse from the government to regulate spiritual life in China. The Chinese government stated that the Golden Lampstand Church, which serves at least 50,000 congregants, did not have the proper permits and was operating illegally. Some of Golden Lampstand Church’s leaders have been imprisoned for one to seven years, simply for serving at their church. Christians in China have experienced severe hostility from the government under President Xi Jinping, who last year promised to monitor religious activity closely, except for Buddhism.  Please pray… Pray for members of this church to continue worshipping Christ despite the demolition of their building. Pray for the Church in China, both underground and not, that Christians will remain bold and faithful in sharing their faith. Pray for non-believers to come to Christ after seeing the church’s response to this persecution.

12/7/17  China  (VOM) Government officials in Jiangxi province have pledged to help Christians living in poverty under the condition that they reject their faith, follow communism and replace their pictures of Jesus with pictures of President Xi Jinping. While authorities claim the Christians are voluntarily replacing their religious images, believers have reportedly been visited by Communist Party officials checking to make sure the images have been replaced. These recent actions are linked to new regulations on religion that were implemented in the name of national security. In addition, an ordinance scheduled to take effect in February will impose hefty fines on organizers of unapproved religious activities, another sign of increasing scrutiny of Christians. Please pray… Pray that the Lord will provide the material needs of the Christians so that they will not be tempted to accept government aid in exchange for rejecting their faith. Pray that Christians in Jiangxi will have wisdom in dealing with the pressure being placed on them by the government. Pray that the church in China will continue to grow despite increasing opposition and persecution from the government.