China frees Christian prisoner amid ongoing persecution of churches

China frees Christian prisoner amid ongoing persecution of churches

China has freed an imprisoned Christian but religious liberty advocates warn persecution of Christians continues.

House church member Gou Zhongcan was released Oct. 22 after seven months in prison, International Christian Concern (ICC) reported Oct. 24. Gou, a member of Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC) in Sichuan, had gone missing in March and was seen days later with several plainclothes police, witnesses told ICC. Police have taken into custody 150 members of the church since 2018.

In the latest reported church demolition police demolished a government-sanctioned Three-Self Church in Anhui province Oct. 18 disrupting worship for up to 3,000 worshippers. Church members had no advance notice of the demolition, sources said. Police arrested two pastors and three members of the church days later, China Aid reported.

Elsewhere in China, restrictions barring foreigners from worship most recently affected a group of 80 students from Africa, according to religious liberty advocate Bitter Winter. China prohibits foreigners from attending Three-Self churches and denies them the opportunity to form separate congregations, Bitter Winter reported Oct. 15. (BP)