“Tiebei Deaf Christian Church is one of two Christian churches banned as ‘illegal organizations’ in the past year in Jilin Province because they did not register with the government,” says Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley. “The ‘church’ is just a small group of Christians dedicated to providing worship gatherings and fellowship for local deaf people. But even groups like this which don’t fit well into the official ‘Three-Self Church’ system, have to go through the government’s formal registration process in order to ‘maintain national security and social stability’, according to Communist authorities.” 

“These organizations violate relevant laws, affect social order, and the bans are necessary measures in accordance with the law,” according to the notification from the Meihe New District Civil Affairs Bureau about the banned churches.  

“It’s not just about faith,” said one believer who has been involved in the deaf church. “It’s the only place where we can understand each other and comfort each other.”

According to Representative Foley, similar situations are common across China.  

“It’s not only theological concerns about the government-run churches that causes Christian groups not to register,” she says. “Many of these ‘churches’ are just small groups of believers like the Tiebei Deaf Christian Church, which provide a service that the Three-Self Churches aren’t able or interested to provide. When groups register as churches, they have to meet strict government requirements and detailed accounting standards and submit to regular government reviews. It’s far too burdensome for most small groups of believers to do. Banning them as a ‘threat to national security’ or ‘social stability’ shows how much the authorities are threatened by any gathering of Christians, no matter how small.” 

Representative Foley noted that the “banning operation” in Meihekou also included the government’s announcement of a hotline for reporting illegal religious activities and pornography. “The Communist authorities in Meihekou lumped together a Christian outreach to help the deaf and online pornography and portrayed both as being dangerous to Chinese society,” she says. “They set up a hotline to encourage and reward citizens for reporting any of those kinds of activities. 

Individuals interested in learning about or supporting Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s work in partnership with persecuted Christians in China can visit www.vomkorea.com/en/china or give via electronic transfer to: 

KB Bank: 463501-01-243303 

Account Holder: (사)순교자의소리 

Please note “China” on the transfer. 

중국의 핍박받는 기독교인과 동역하는 한국 순교자의 소리의 사역에 관하여 더 알기 원하시는 분은 www.vomkorea.com/china를 방문해 주시고, 이 귀한 사역에 동역하기 원하시는 한국 교회나 성도님은 아래 두 가지 방법 중 하나를 이용해 주시기 바랍니다.  

1. 순교자의 소리 웹사이트: www.vomkorea.com/donation (납부 유형에서 ‘중국’ 선택)                    
2. 계좌이체: 국민은행 463501-01-243303 예금주: (사)순교자의 소리 (본인 성명 옆에 ‘중국’이라고 기재해 주세요.  그렇지 않으면 일반 후원금으로 사용됩니다.)