ChinaAid reports that Chinese police detained more than 20 Christians during a Sunday gathering at a private home in Pingxiang City, Jiangxi Province. The raid came about 9:30 a.m. on October 18, while Deng'an Church leader Mr. Ding was sharing Scripture at a believer's home in Phoenix Mountain Villa. Eyewitnesses told ChinaAid that approximately 40 armed police officers entered the residence.
Most of those detained were released and returned home that evening, ChinaAid reports. But as of Monday, October 19, Mr. Ding and several other church workers were still in custody. Their families had received no official detention notices or other legal documents, according to church sources. Church representatives said they would seek legal help if those still held were not released soon.
People who know Mr. Ding describe him to ChinaAid as a longtime worker in religious outreach and humanitarian service. He has helped older adults, people who are ill and people with disabilities.
The arrests come amid broader restrictions on worship outside government-approved churches. ChinaAid explains that China generally requires organized worship to take place through government-approved religious institutions and venues. Unregistered Protestant congregations that meet outside that system have faced raids, closures and detentions as authorities seek tighter oversight. Jiangxi has seen this before. On June 26 the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Civil Affairs formally banned two groups, the China Christian Church and the Poyang Lake Fellowship, according to an earlier ChinaAid report. Last November, police in Nanchang, the provincial capital, reportedly detained a Christian identified as Zhenyu during a gathering with university students, and his family also received no formal notice.
Pastor Bob Fu, president of ChinaAid, said the incident shows the risks independent congregations face. "This incident highlights China's strict stance and law enforcement practices in managing religious affairs," Fu said. He added that house churches still face significant legal and political risks when they gather in private homes, and that timely delivery of legal documents is crucial to protecting citizens' rights. Hebrews 13:3 asks us to remember those in prison as if we were bound with them. Remember Mr. Ding by name, as if you were in that room with him.
Read Hebrews 13:3
