{"id":35845,"date":"2021-03-23T13:46:59","date_gmt":"2021-03-23T04:46:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=35845"},"modified":"2021-03-23T14:41:20","modified_gmt":"2021-03-23T05:41:20","slug":"vomk-report-148","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2021\/03\/23\/vomk-report-148\/","title":{"rendered":"CHINA: RAID OF ELDERLY WOMEN\u2019S CHURCH SHOWS COMMUNIST ANTI-CHRISTIAN STRATEGY EVOLVING"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”35833″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”At approximately 10 am on Sunday February 28, several plainclothes police raided Chongqing Living Fountain Church, breaking up the small house church gathering and arresting two men, one of whom was preaching that day. The police confiscated a church computer and forced those attending to leave. Later, police pressured the landlord of the house hosting the church to gather the names and financial information of the church members. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”headline”][vc_column_text]Church raids seem to be s<\/span><\/span>uch a common event in China that<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the Chongqing raid\u00a0<\/span><\/span>hardly seems newsworthy\u2014except for\u00a0<\/span><\/span>when considering the church\u2019s membership profile.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”35836″ img_size=”600×600″ alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Chongqing Living Fountain Church<\/span><\/span>\u00a0is a church composed almost entirely of elderly women.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/span>Since the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Chinese\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Communist Party came to power in\u00a0<\/span><\/span>1949<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the attitude<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>toward the church\u00a0<\/span><\/span>has always been<\/span><\/span>, \u2018<\/span><\/span>Educate the young in atheism and let the old Christians die<\/span><\/span>; then the church will cease to exist\u2019,\u201d says Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Hyun Sook Foley. \u201cBut the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Party\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><\/span>actions\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in Chongqing and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>on\u00a0<\/span><\/span>other\u00a0<\/span><\/span>smaller and elderly house\u00a0<\/span><\/span>churches show\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a changing mindset:\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Police r<\/span><\/span>aids are<\/span><\/span>n\u2019t<\/span><\/span>\u00a0just for\u00a0<\/span><\/span>young, growing\u00a0<\/span><\/span>megachurches\u00a0<\/span><\/span>anymore<\/span><\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Representative Foley says that international media coverage\u00a0<\/span><\/span>has inadvertently\u00a0<\/span><\/span>obscured this change of strategy by Communist Party officials. \u201c<\/span><\/span>International m<\/span><\/span>edia\u00a0<\/span><\/span>tend to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>focus on\u00a0<\/span><\/span>high-profile events<\/span><\/span>\u00a0with\u00a0<\/span><\/span>impactful\u00a0<\/span><\/span>photos and videos\u2014events<\/span><\/span>\u00a0like church demolitions and cross removals.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>But w<\/span><\/span>hen a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>small house\u00a0<\/span><\/span>church of grandmothers is raided,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>most of the tim<\/span><\/span>e<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>no one hears about it. T<\/span><\/span>he grandmothers\u00a0<\/span><\/span>aren\u2019t<\/span><\/span>\u00a0thinking about recording the raid on their cell phones.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Often, no one reports it, and no statistics are kept on it. But clearly the Communist Party is no longer leaving older Christians alone and waiting for them to die off.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Representative Foley says that\u00a0<\/span><\/span>she believes Communist Party officials\u00a0<\/span><\/span>may be beginning to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>realiz<\/span><\/span>e<\/span><\/span>\u00a0that older Christians\u00a0<\/span><\/span>are\u00a0<\/span><\/span>far more committed to their faith and thus\u00a0<\/span><\/span>far<\/span><\/span>\u00a0better at spreading it than Party officials previously realized. \u201c<\/span><\/span>It\u2019s the same thing we at Voice of the Martyrs Korea learned about North Korean Christians: Old women are\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the backbone of the church. They are\u00a0<\/span><\/span>tough.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>They\u2019re<\/span><\/span>\u00a0used to getting beat up, neglected, cheated, and left out<\/span><\/span>\u00a0of just about everything in life<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>But in this\u00a0<\/span><\/span>way<\/span><\/span>\u00a0t<\/span><\/span>hey learn never to give up<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>T<\/span><\/span>hey are willing to endure just about anything for Jesus<\/span><\/span>, and so he uses them<\/span><\/span>\u00a0powerfully to spread the gospel<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Up until now, authorities have\u00a0<\/span><\/span>underestimated them. But the raids at Chongqing and other small, elderly house churches show that the Chinese authorities are beginning to wake up to who is the real strength of the Chinese church.<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley\u00a0<\/span><\/span>said that one week before the raid,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities from the district\u00a0<\/span><\/span>R<\/span><\/span>eligious\u00a0<\/span><\/span>A<\/span><\/span>ffairs\u00a0<\/span><\/span>B<\/span><\/span>ureau,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>D<\/span><\/span>omestic\u00a0<\/span><\/span>S<\/span><\/span>ecurity\u00a0<\/span><\/span>B<\/span><\/span>ureau<\/span><\/span>, and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>plainclothes police<\/span><\/span>\u00a0officers\u00a0<\/span><\/span>showed up at the church\u00a0<\/span><\/span>during the Sunday service.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>They requested that the church stop\u00a0<\/span><\/span>meeting<\/span><\/span>, stating that the church is not registered with the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>R<\/span><\/span>eligious\u00a0<\/span><\/span>A<\/span><\/span>ffairs\u00a0<\/span><\/span>B<\/span><\/span>ureau.<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”35842″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”File photo of elderly Christians in China praying and reading the Bible together. Elderly Christians are increasingly becoming the target of police raids, according to Voice of the Martyrs Korea.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Representative Foley said that a<\/span><\/span>uthorities were especially troubled that young children\u00a0<\/span><\/span>were\u00a0<\/span><\/span>present<\/span><\/span>\u00a0in the worship time<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>One of the church members who was present was\u00a0<\/span><\/span>challenged by a plainclothes police officer, \u2018<\/span><\/span>Did you know that minors are not allowed to enter religious venues?<\/span><\/span>\u2019 Some of the larger unregistered churches\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in China\u00a0<\/span><\/span>have discontinued their programs for children\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in order to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0avoid trouble\u00a0<\/span><\/span>with the authorities, but these old women at Chongqing Church could not be frightened so easily.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley said that plainclothes police also cited Coronavirus risks when they shut down the church service on February 28. \u201cIt\u2019s important to remember that Chinese\u00a0<\/span><\/span>house church\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Christians are not<\/span><\/span>\u00a0able to worship either online or offline; any gathering, even a small home-based one, is considered a violation of the law because the church is not registered.<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Communist Party knows\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Chongqing C<\/span><\/span>hurch because they have been gathering for more than 20 years. They have always refused to register with the Religious Affairs Bureau<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in order to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0keep their faith pure<\/span><\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201c<\/span><\/span>In 2018, Cheng\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Hairong<\/span><\/span>, the church\u2019s minister\u00a0<\/span><\/span>signed\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/span>A Joint Statement by Pastors: A Declaration for the Sake of the Christian Faith<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>This so-called\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/span>China Declaration<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>was\u00a0<\/span><\/span>launched by Pastor Wang Yi from the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu<\/span><\/span>. It\u00a0<\/span><\/span>called on Chinese authorities to stop repressing and persecuting house churches and to respect the personal faith and freedom of conscience of all Chinese citizens.<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Representative Foley\u00a0<\/span><\/span>says\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that since the publication of the statement, CCP officials have targeted\u00a0<\/span><\/span>many of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the pastors, ministers, and elders who signed.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that o<\/span><\/span>n February 28, in response to the raid, Chongqing Living Fountain Church members\u00a0<\/span><\/span>circulated\u00a0<\/span><\/span>an urgent prayer request\u00a0<\/span><\/span>letter\u00a0<\/span><\/span>which Voice of the Martyrs Korea received through its network of China church partners.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Representative Foley says that the letter\u00a0<\/span><\/span>ask<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Christians\u00a0<\/span><\/span>around the world\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to join them in prayer.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir letter says, \u2018<\/span><\/span>The Lord has protected our church since its founding more than 20 years ago. Most of our members are elderly and women. We pray that God gives us the courage and wisdom to testify His name to the kings and rulers, as well as to soldiers of the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>e<\/span><\/span>arth. May God\u2019s peace be with our detained\u00a0<\/span><\/span>b<\/span><\/span>rothers<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Voice of the Martyrs Korea published translations in Korean, English, and Russian, of the China Declaration at\u00a0<\/span><\/span>https:\/\/chinadeclaration.com<\/span><\/span><\/a>. \u201cThis is the document that had been originally signed by Minister\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Cheng\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and 438 other Chinese church leaders,\u201d explains Representative Foley. \u201cLast year we invited church leaders around the world to sign their names to the document as a show of support for the Chinese church. We ultimately presented 28 pages of signatures from 4,400 Christian leaders to the Chinese Embassy in Seoul. Although we are no longer gathering signatures, we encourage\u00a0<\/span><\/span>all\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Christians to go to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>https:\/\/chinadeclaration.com<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0and read the declaration and pray for the original 439 signers, including Minister\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Cheng<\/span><\/span>, Pray also for\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>brave,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>elderly saints at\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Chongqing Living Fountain Church<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and across China, who now are in<\/span><\/span>creasingly coming to the attention of the Chinese Communist Party<\/span><\/span>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”35847″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”The \u201cChina Declaration\u201d was a 2018 statement signed by 439 Chinese church leaders, including Minister Cheng Hairong of the Chongqing Living Fountain Church, which was raided by authorities on February 28. Translations in Korean, English, and Russian of The China Declaration can be found at www.chinadeclaration.com. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”35833″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”At approximately 10 am on Sunday February 28, several plainclothes police raided Chongqing Living Fountain Church, breaking up the small house church gathering and arresting two men, …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":35832,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[857,235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russian-special","category-special-column","category-china-special","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35845"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35845\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}