Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.
Matthew 18:20
Gu Xianggao (2004)
House Church Raids
Xianggao, a 28-year-old Christian who worked as a teacher, was beaten to death in custody in Heilongjiang Province, China, on 27 April 2004. He had been arrested the previous day in a series of raids targeting the Three Grades Servants House Church to which he belonged. His parents were given the equivalent of around £15,000 not to speak about what had happened.
Unregistered churches or “house churches” suffer frequent harassment and persecution from the Chinese authorities. They refuse to register with the state, so are regarded as unstable social elements that need to be suppressed. The government allows Christianity to be practised only under the authority of the registered churches. The worship and activities of these churches are tightly controlled by the state, and many Chinese Christians find them too restrictive. However, those who belong to house church congregations can face discrimination, detention, violence – and even death – at the hands of the authorities. The Church in China is one of the fastest growing in the world.
All is Silent.
In the still and soundless air,
I fervently bow
To my almighty God.
Hsieh Ping-Hsin, China