Pastor and Church Workers Moved Into Criminal Detention in China, Open Doors Reports

A pastor and several church workers from a large unregistered congregation in northern China have reportedly been moved into criminal detention after being arrested while preparing for a church event.

Open Doors UK & Ireland reported on 22 September that the Christians were initially placed in administrative detention, a short-term form of punishment normally used for minor violations. Within days, however, their cases were escalated to criminal detention, which can lead to formal prosecution and trial.

The pastor and church workers are now being held in a detention centre and are unable to communicate with their families, friends or fellow believers, according to Open Doors.

Their names and exact location have not been published for security reasons.

The Christians serve an unregistered house church with a congregation of more than 1,000 believers. Increasing pressure on religious gatherings outside China’s state-sanctioned church structures had already led the congregation to divide its meetings into smaller groups.

Open Doors Canada reports that some fellowship groups had been reduced to around ten people, while Sunday services of approximately 100 worshippers were being held at different locations.

An Open Doors local partner, identified only as “Joel” for security reasons, said authorities had been monitoring the congregation before the arrests.

According to Joel, the operation appeared to have been conducted using a predetermined list of people to be detained. He said the size of the longstanding congregation had brought increased scrutiny from authorities.

Open Doors has also expressed concern that church offerings could eventually be used as the basis for fraud allegations against those detained.

No such charge has been reported in this case, however, and the possibility remains a concern raised by the organisation’s local source rather than an established accusation against the pastor and church workers.

Open Doors has documented other cases involving Chinese house churches in which church leaders have faced fraud allegations connected with offerings, but that does not establish what charges, if any, will ultimately be brought in this case.

The latest arrests come amid continuing pressure on Christian communities that operate independently of China’s state-sanctioned religious organisations.

Open Doors has reported other raids, detentions and prosecutions involving unregistered congregations during the past year, including cases involving pastors and church workers from other house-church networks.

For the congregation involved in the latest case, the immediate situation is more straightforward.

According to Open Doors, a pastor and several church workers from a congregation of more than 1,000 believers are now in criminal detention and unable to contact their families.

Their church remains without some of its leaders while it waits to learn what happens next.

Source

• Open Doors UK & Ireland — Pastor and church staff arrested in China