China : 210 Chinese house-church pastors and believers arrested in Hubei

China Aid Association (CAA) reports that more than 210 Chinese house-church pastors and believers have been arrested in Hubei, Hebei and Henan provinces since July 2005.
It also states that two tourists were mistreated when arrested in Hubei province. On August 2nd, while two American theological students were preparing to have Christian fellowship with 41 Chinese house-church pastors and believers at their host family's home in Hubei province, approximately 30 Chinese plain-clothed police officers rushed into the house. One student sustained injuries to his wrists after being handcuffed because he wanted to put his shoes on before he was forced into an unmarked police car. They were neither permitted to contact the U.S. Embassy nor permitted to show their U.S. passports and other identification cards. They were released at 5:00 p.m. following a seven-hour interrogation. Some of their belongings, including their personal Bibles, notebooks and books on Westminster Confession of Faith were confiscated. The same day 41 Chinese pastors and believers from the evangelical South China Church were taken to prison. At the time of this report, 30 had been released. The remaining 11, including 38-year-old Ms. Wang Hua and 32-year-old Ms. Wang Xiao, as well as the hostess, Ms. Ren Daoyun, are still in prison. According to eyewitness reports, many of them were tortured. Sixty-year-old Ms. Ren has been repeatedly beaten by Mr. Lei Youxin, the director of the prison. He kicked her, punched her face, and beat her head against the wall with a prison chair. (Click here)

Pray God will continue to bless the people of China with a hunger for His Word. Pray they will know His presence as they are bold in sharing their faith. Pray publicity concerning the two American students will expose the reality of religious persecution in China.

VOM