Chinese Government Destroys Christian Church, Bills Pastor for Demolition

Faithwire.com ^ | September 28, 2018 | Tré Goins-Phillips

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Chinese authorities have passed on a bill to pastor Jin Mingri after the government demolished his Zion Church in Beijing, one of the largest unofficial congregations in the communist country.

The church was destroyed without any notice and officials sent Jin a bill for 1.2 million yuan, which equals around $170,000, The Guardian reported.

“Before, as long as you didn’t meddle in politics, the government left you alone,” the pastor remarked. “But now, if you don’t push the communist party line, if you don’t display your love for the party, you are a target.”

He added, “Of course we’re scared; we’re in China, but we have Jesus.”

The Chinese government’s crackdown on Zion Church started in August, when communist officials first threatened to shutter the 1,500-member church after the congregation refused to install closed-circuit surveillance cameras in the sanctuary, according to Reuters.

Church leadership had been denying CCTV requests since April.

In early September, the Beijing Chaoyang district civil affairs bureau rebuked the church for organizing events without officially registering with the government, arguing the congregation’s leaders were violating rules forbidding mass gatherings. As a result, the church was “legally banned” and its “illegal promotional material” — presumably Bibles — was confiscated.

[Notthereyet]

Father in Heaven, please, keep those folks under persecution filled with Your Holy Spirit. Guard their paths. Amen.

[Know et al]

Think what would have happened if China and the Vatican hadn't signed the agreement.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

This has been a routine occurrence for quite some time now.

[HarleyD]

“Before, as long as you didn’t meddle in politics, the government left you alone,” the pastor remarked. “But now, if you don’t push the communist Democrat's party line, if you don’t display your love for the party, you are a target.”

Now it's good for the US.

[353FMG]

Did I not read, not too long ago, that millions of Chinese have converted to Christianity?

[CondoleezzaProtege]

a) I haven’t been to China myself, but I question some of the hype. Because I’ve also heard that Chinese exchange students who convert in USA/UK end up having trouble living out their faith when they return home because they have trouble fitting in with “Chinese Christianity” and Chinese church culture.

b) Which leads to this point: Even if people convert and find faith, it doesn’t mean that they are then able to forge a cohesive worldview that applies to the greater context of which they a apart: challenging cultural, political norms and things.