ADHRRF – In mainland China, Wangya Church in Dayang, Yaodu, Linfen, “Shanxi province was sealed and closed up by the local public security bureau on April 28, 2018.
The local believers said that the authorities ordered all the believers of this church to register and apply for a certificate from the government department, and join the Three-Self Church to accept government management, or the religious activities will be stopped and the church will be closed permanently. A believer cried to the reporter, “Three-Self Church is state-controlled, so the police said that only when all the Christians receive membership certificate of the Three-Self Church will this church be reopened; if not, meetings will not be allowed.”
It’s learned that in April 2014, the construction of Wangya Church was forcibly stopped by the local public security bureau when the foundations were just finished. A year later, the construction resumed in the personal capacity of a church member. In order to guarantee the successful completion of the church, they declared that it was built for personal use of the church member. After that, believers could attend meetings normally in the church for more than two years. In July 2017, the head of Wangya village said to the local believers, “The police has installed two surveillance cameras in the church specially to monitor the believers. If anyone is found to attend meetings in the church, the village secretary will be dismissed.” Under the pressure of the authorities, the village head ordered believers to stop having meetings.
Up to date, the church members have lost their meeting place once again because they are unwilling to join Three-Self Church.
