Three House Church Buildings in Zhejiang Facing Imminent Destruction by Government
Contact: Bob Fu, China Aid Association, Inc., 267-205-5210, info@ChinaAid.org; www.chinaaid.org, www.monitorchina.org
MIDLAND, Texas, July 14 /Christian Newswire/ -- China Aid Association learned three well-known Prayer Mountain church buildings in Yongjia county, Wenzhou city of Zhejiang province are facing imminent destruction by the local government.
Photo: A destroyed house church in Wenzhou in 2003, high-resolution version available
According to reliable local church sources in Wenzhou, the three buildings built about 10 years ago in three different mountains were used primarily as prayer mountain churches. Believers go up there everyday. And up to 800 believers usually gather at every building once a month.
Sources told CAA that because there are more house churches than the government sanctioned churches, the local government has been determined to destroy these church buildings by accusing the believers as "evil cult". The government issued an ultimatum to destroy the three church buildings by next week. Most of the local house church leaders have been threatened not to resist the government destruction effort. Otherwise they will be arrested.
From 1997 to 2003, the local government had either destroyed with bombs or occupied 11 house church buildings at Yongjia County alone.
"To destroy church buildings used for prayer is very deplorable," said Rev. Bob Fu," we urge the Chinese central government to help stop this type of barbaric acts by the local government."
To address your concern, write and call the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC:
Embassy of the People's Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC 20008
Tel:(202) 328-2500 Fax: (202) 588-0032
Director of Religious Affairs:(202) 328-2512