A sobering 20th anniversary for a house church facing continuous persecution and the repeated detention of its pastor.
In the heart of Guangzhou, a quiet but resolute Christian community faces relentless pressure from the state while it celebrates its 20th anniversary. Guangfu Church, a house church founded in 2005 by Pastor Ma Chao—also known as Pastor Mark—once welcomed over a thousand believers. Today, it stands battered by years of persecution, its congregation scattered, and its future uncertain.
Since 2015, Guangfu Church has endured an escalating campaign of harassment from multiple government agencies, including the Religious Affairs Bureau, Public Security, and local administrative offices. Authorities have sealed worship venues, welded shut doors, forced evictions, and obstructed Pastor Ma’s overseas theological education. In one ruthless episode during the church’s tenth anniversary celebration, officials raided the premises, assaulted church workers and congregants, and confiscated materials.
The repression has not spared individual believers. In 2017, church member Li Hongmin was sentenced to ten months in prison for printing Christian literature, including hymnals and the well-known book “Wandering Son.” His printing business was shut down.
Pastor Ma himself has been repeatedly detained without formal charges, held in locations ranging from villas to police stations. When he asked officials what crime he had committed, one replied bluntly: “You haven’t committed a crime. If you had, you’d be in prison. We’re just carrying out orders.”
In 2025, the church’s twentieth anniversary passed without celebration, hoping to avoid further conflict. But the persecution intensified. A previous promise from local officials—that the church could gather freely if it refrained from legal action or media outreach—was abruptly revoked by Baiyun District’s new Religious Affairs chief, Yao Huaixiang, who declared, “I’m the leader now. What I say goes.”
Authorities have since targeted the church with bureaucratic sabotage, inflating costs for fire safety installations and citing electrical issues to disrupt gatherings. Surveillance cameras have been installed around the church to monitor attendees. Officials reportedly possess a list of 58 congregants and have begun threatening them individually, through phone calls, home visits, pressure on employers, and even intimidation of children.
“Bitter Winter” was told that one congregant’s disabled son lost his government assistance after the local village chief mocked, “Aren’t you a Christian? Let Jesus give you welfare.” Another believer’s teenage daughter was warned that attending church could jeopardize her education. Families have been threatened with eviction, and some members have been coerced into signing pledges to stop attending services.
Attendance has plummeted. On August 3, fewer than 20 people gathered for Sunday worship. Elder Zhang Zhibiao has refused to sign any pledge and is now under intense government scrutiny.
Yet Pastor Ma remains steadfast. In a recent statement of faith, he declared: “If the Lord allows, I will face it calmly. I am prepared—whether it be prison or martyrdom… Their deceit and tactics are all under God’s control. If He does not permit it, no hair on my head will fall. I firmly believe in God’s protection over His church.”
Supporters have rallied behind Guangfu Church. Mr. Hu Xiaoping, a devoted Christian who helps to amplify the church’s plight, said in “Bitter Winter” that “God’s law is higher than human law. The Christian church has always been a force for good in Chinese society. The government should not persecute believers. Officials must stop these wrongful actions and return freedom to Guangfu Church.”
As China’s crackdown on religion deepens, the story of Pastor Ma Chao and Guangfu Church is a sobering reminder of the cost of faith in an increasingly controlled society. Their resilience, however, continues to shine through the darkness—an enduring testament to spiritual conviction in the face of oppression.
Source: Bitter Winter
