Christians Request Prayer as Chinese Authorities Abolish House Church in Sichuan

By Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

SICHUAN, CHINA ANS — Authorities have abolished the Christian Church of Huaguan Town, a house church in Huaguan town, Nanbu county, Sichuan province, and arrested three church members on June 29, 2009, according to ChinaAid www.chinaaid.org .

Since then, house church members have faced heavy persecution and are asking Christians around the world for prayer.

In a media release, ChinaAid says that the church service started in 2002 in a member’s house, and has been gathering at a church building built with the help of Christians from Zhejiang province since August 2006.

On March 23, 2009 the church was raided by six Public Security Bureau PSB and government officers who confiscated both the property of the church and a check with more than 10,000 yuan $1,500 USD which was the believers’ offerings.

The PSB officers covered the Chinese characters “God Loves the World” on the top of the gate with iron plates. Authorities accused the Christians of being a cult, Falun Gong and a reactionary organization.

Three church leaders, Mr. Chai Yongwen, Ms.Yang Huimin and Mr. Ma Deyan, were taken away for interrogation. Later, Mr. Cai Yongwen received 15 days of administrative detention, and Ms. Yang Huimin received five days of administrative detention.

The Christian Church of Huaguan Town sent a statement to the international community in which they made the following request for prayer, “We hereby request the brothers and sisters to pray for the expansion of the Gospel in the disaster areas of Sichuan, and we implore God to give us His wisdom and strength while dealing with these rulers”