Report by South China Church About Persecution in November 2008

Persecution of the church in China is continuing despite all of the glowing reports of progress made during the Olympics and the recent report of the government reaching out to churches. Here's the most recent report from China Aid:

Christians from South China Church, for whom Christian churches, peace-loving people and all circles within the international community have shown so much concern, have once again been persecuted and arrested by the relevant authorities in Jingmen city and Xiangfan city areas in Hubei province during November 2008.

On November 1, 2008, as Brother Yi Peng, a missionary from South China Church, was visiting a sick believer in Jingmen city when he was arrested by authorities from the Bureau of State Security. He has not been heard from since.

On November 1, 2008, as missionaries Li Duojia, Qiu Xiangying and one other person from South China Church were getting ready to get on a train, they were hit to the ground by seven or eight plainclothes officials from the Bureau of State Security and an investigation team, on the platform. Their hands were handcuffed behind their back. They were taken and detained at a hotel across the street from Jingmen Train Station where they were kicked and punched. The authorities also took away the Bibles the missionaries were carrying with them, saying: “We persecute you and confiscate your Bibles; our purpose is not to allow you to believe in Jesus.” They also said: “Except the TSPM [Three-Self Patriotic Movement], all other organizations that believe in Jesus Christ are cults. Your South China Church has long been determined as a cult. This persecution of you is to thoroughly destroy your church, get rid of the missionaries and disband you believers.” During the interrogation when Li Duojia and others kept silent, the people from the Bureau of State Security said: “Your practice may work in Hong Kong, but not in China.” Saying so, they grabbed them by the hair and forcibly took photos of them from all sides; forced them to press their fingerprints from all 10 fingers; made prints of their palms and prints of the soles of their feet.

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